Things Best Forgotten
by NansJns
Summary: The past can't be changed, but not everyone wants to let it go. The bloody past of the Saiyans comes back to haunt the Zsenshi in the form of assasins sent to kill the last of the Saiyans. all couples
1. Default Chapter

Dragon Ball Z isn't mine. Some of the characters here are, though. If you don't know who Kari is, go read my other fic, "The Lady Kari." Thank you.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Things Best Forgotten Part 1 by NansJns  
  
Running from the future, Running from the past Running from the mirror How long can you last?  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch.1: An Old Friend  
  
He held the old picture carefully, studying the faces that beamed from it. His own face, many years younger, and the face of a little girl with deep blue eyes and light blue hair. It had been such a long time since they'd seen each other last, and he hoped to find her again. He knew where to look, more or less. He wondered if he'd be able to recognize her after all of this time.  
  
It was summer, and the sun beat down on the world below as if its deepest wish was to see it cook. Bulma left the downtown office building that had held the meeting she'd been attending and sighed. She wiped some sweat off her forehead and walked down the street to where she'd parked her car. She couldn't wait to go home and work on her newest inventions. She wondered idly what Vegeta was doing at the moment - training, no doubt. The real question was, with or with out Goku and/or Kari? She gave a small laugh, and then remembered the one time Vegeta had actually tried to do something useful around Capsule Corp. He had tried to help adjust some of the machines since he'd been around high-tech stuff his whole life and thought he knew how to work them, and the end result was that three of them exploded, two just fell apart, and the last one sparked and sputtered before it died of internal melting. Bulma bit back laughing out loud at the memory, for despite the damage done, the look on Vegeta's face when the machines didn't work had been hilarious. Although it had been nice having him working in the lab, they both decided it was a bad thing for him to do, and he had never done it since. ((He only goes into the lab to watch me. Which is a hell of a lot safer.)) Bulma giggled again and then spotted her car. She had just started to reach into her pocket for her keys when she heard someone call her name.  
  
"Bulma?! Bulma Briefs?!" a male voice called, and Bulma turned to see a man about her age come running up to her. He was familiar looking, with shoulder-length red hair, dark skin, yellow-gold eyes, and a lean face. "I can't believe my luck! I thought it was going to take much longer to find you! Heck, I thought I'd have to go to Capsule Corp. first!" he observed, smiling widely. Bulma blinked and stepped back.  
  
"Um, have we met?" she asked slowly. His smiled wavered and his eyes widened.  
  
"You don't. . .? What am I thinking, of course you don't. We were seven, for pity's sake. I'm Odan Goe, remember? We were friends for a year when we were kids. From when we were seven until shortly after we both turned eight," Odan looked hopeful, and Bulma thought back. After a few seconds, her face lit up.  
  
"I remember! We used to play hide-and-go-seek in my father's company, and we'd push each other on the swings! Odan! Is it really you?!" Bulma finally smiled back, and a look of relief filled his face.  
  
"Sure is! I was in town again, finally, and I thought I'd try and find you. I was heading down to Capsule Corp. so we could see each other face-to-face when I saw you walking down the street!" Odan explained.  
  
"Why didn't you call first?" Bulma asked. "Just showing up is kind of rude."  
  
"Well, I'm not here for long, and I just wanted to see you in person again," Odan looked embarrassed.  
  
"How did you even recognize me after thirty, almost forty, years?" Bulma looked him over carefully. "I hardly remember what you looked like, but I know you've changed a lot."  
  
"Don't I know it! And you too, but I had this," Odan held up an old photo of the two as children. "You _have_ changed a lot, but you still have those deep blue eyes and that head of pretty sea-blue hair. And your face is still your face," he smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Oh, I remember this! We only had the one copy, and I let you have it because you were leaving," Bulma nodded.  
  
"Hey, want to get some coffee or something and catch up?" Odan offered. "My treat."  
  
"Yeah, sure!" Bulma said cheerfully, and they headed for the nearest coffee shop.  
  
After ordering two cups of French Vanilla coffee, Bulma and Odan settled into talking. Bulma told him about some of her crazy adventures, even admitting to the existence of the dragon balls and her friendship with Goku. She had been careful not to tell all of the details, so as not to make it all sound too fantastic. She also hesitated to mention Vegeta and Trunks in great detail, since she didn't know how to explain that she'd fallen in love with one of the aliens that had attacked Earth and they'd had a child together. Odan said that he had been traveling, going from place to place until he found some people with common interests, and they were now forming a kind of company. Bulma arched an eyebrow at that.  
"Not in competition with Capsule Corp., I hope," she observed casually.  
  
"Ah, I doubt it. . .unless CC has branched into. . .um. . .extermination," Odan shrugged lightly. Bulma blinked.  
  
"Pest control?" she asked incredulously. That couldn't be right, could it? Odan rolled his eyes around as if searching for the right words to explain. Their coffee arrived and he sipped at it for a moment.  
  
"More like military operations, I guess. Anyway, change of subject - did this Krillin guy really marry Android 18?" Odan inquired.  
  
"He sure did. They even have a daughter named Marron," Bulma smiled. "17 just left. We don't know where he is."  
  
"Hmmm. So, are you running CC now, or what?" Odan took another drink of his coffee and watched her over the cup's rim.  
  
"Pretty much. I'm now CEO and part-owner. I was downtown today because I had a meeting with some business partners," Bulma explained as she drank her own coffee. She launched into a discussion about the business, and after listening for several minutes, Odan decided to step in.  
  
"Do you ever get lonely spending all your time at your father's company?" Odan said out of the blue. Bulma blinked several times in surprise and then laughed.  
  
"I didn't tell you, did I? I'm married!" she beamed. Odan went into shock.  
  
"Married. . .?" Odan gasped. He had hoped, in some small way, that their relationship could be taken to a new level. She had told him about breaking up with Yamcha and had mentioned finding someone new, but hadn't said flat-out that she was married. Now that he thought about it, though, she had mentioned something about being a mother. It just went right over his head.  
  
"And I have a son," Bulma dug into her purse and pulled out a picture. It was obviously taken when none of them knew they were being photographed; they were all looking at each other and laughing outdoors in bright sunshine. Bulma stood between a man and a young boy. The man was relatively short, but very muscular, had wild black hair that stood straight up, a pronounced widow's peak, deep ebony eyes, and a half-smirking smile. The boy had soft lavender hair that stayed down, and his mother's blue eye color - but the shape of his eyes was his father's, and his face was like his father's as well, though rounder. Odan's eyes fixed on the man, Bulma's husband. . .he looked very familiar to him. And more than that, the man's physical features called to something deep inside him, a pain, a fear, a long forgotten memory of both. Odan got a look of sheer shock and horror on his face, but Bulma didn't seem to notice.  
  
"I see," Odan finally managed to say, though in a low voice as his right hand balled into a fist. "What're their names?"  
  
"My husband is Vegeta, and our son is Trunks," Bulma answered. Odan sucked in a breath. ((Vegeta? I think I've heard that name before. . .)) he thought. The feelings the picture of Vegeta caused almost seemed to double with the inclusion of his name. Odan finished his drink in two deep swallows.  
  
"Um. . .what's with his hair?" Odan almost had to force the words out.  
  
"Oh, uh. . .we don't know. It just does that. It can be pressed down, but it just springs back up. I thought about trying some hair spray and gel, but he wouldn't let me near him with them," she gave a small laugh. Odan forced a smile. When the bill came, he paid quickly. He looked at his watch and sighed.  
  
"I have to go, Bulma. Sorry," he smiled a little and stood up.  
  
"Oh, too bad. If you have the time, feel free to stop by Capsule Corp., and we'll talk some more, okay?" she smiled at him and stood as well. He gave a quick nod.  
  
"I'll try to do that," he agreed, and they gave each other a quick hug. They went their separate ways peacefully, but Odan was watching her carefully as he walked away. He needed to confirm something.  
  
"Bulma, there you are! You're an hour late!" Mrs. Briefs observed when Bulma walked in the door.  
  
"I'm sorry about that. The meeting ran a little late, and just as I was reaching my car, I came across an old friend!" Bulma explained with a small smile.  
  
"Oh, really? Who?" Mrs. Briefs smiled brightly.  
  
"What kind of old friend?" Vegeta's voice surprised them both. He strolled into the room casually with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"We were friends for a year - from when we were seven until we were eight. Then he moved away. Odan Goe, remember him, Mama?" Bulma tried to answer both questions at once. Mrs. Briefs opened her eyes wide.  
  
"Odan Goe? That strange little boy?" Mrs. Briefs said, and then caught herself. "Uh, what I mean is. . ."  
  
"Strange? Strange how?" Bulma asked, bewildered. She didn't remember anything all that strange about him.  
"Oh, well, it was just. . .he spoke oddly from time to time, like he was older than he looked. And he had the oddest fits at times, like he was reliving some awful memory. He would stay out in his yard all hours of the night, just looking at the sky. And you know, I never saw hide nor hair of his parents," Mrs. Briefs recalled the oddest things she had noticed about the little boy. Vegeta was silent.  
  
"Neither did I. . .and I remember those fits. Huh. Well, that's not important now. He's grown up and part of his own business. We had some coffee and talked," Bulma said. Vegeta grunted. She looked at him with a smile. "It was harmless," she assured him.  
  
"Of course it was," he stated as he walked to her. "He was just a childhood friend, right?" a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Right," Bulma grinned. "Although he seemed a little upset to learn I was married."  
  
"Humph. Too bad for him," Vegeta snorted.  
  
"Now, he might stop by here while he's in town, so expect him," Bulma added lightly. Vegeta arched his eyebrows. "I invited him," she informed him.  
  
"Whatever," Vegeta rolled his eyes lightly.  
  
"Yo, Vegeta! We're here!" Goku's cheery voice suddenly came from outside the door. Bulma looked out a window and saw Goku and Kari standing in the front yard. Vegeta went out to them and sized them up.  
  
"Ready to train?" he asked gruffly.  
  
"Of course!" Goku smiled.  
  
"As always, Your Highness," Kari gave a quick half-salute. Unlike Goku and his sons, she always addressed Vegeta respectfully, and usually by a title.  
  
"All right, lets go. Trunks is already back there," Vegeta nodded toward the back yard.  
  
"Hey, Kari! Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Bulma leaned on the doorframe as the three Saiyans headed for the gravity room.  
  
"Oh, I'm on my lunch break. I'll be back in the office in about an hour, okay, boss?" Kari now worked at Capsule Corp, and was moving through the ranks at a surprising speed. She was currently an assistant manager. They had all gotten into a pattern of training together, and Kari kept surprising them with some of her moves since nearly all of them were self-invented.  
  
"Fine. 1 hour. If you spend another three hours practicing, like you did yesterday, you're in trouble!" Bulma tried to sound serious, but her mouth kept trying to hitch up into a grin. Somehow, being able to boss around the woman who had once kidnaped all of the Saiyans, Chi- chi, and herself, was rather amusing to her.  
  
"No worries," Kari said in all seriousness, and they went to train in the gravity room. None of them noticed the extra set of eyes that were watching them.  
  
It had been three days since Bulma ran into Odan Goe, and she hadn't heard from him since. She was in her lab working on the computer, doing some diagnostics, when she felt eyes on her. She started to turn, only to be stopped by Vegeta's strong arms.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Watching you. Don't you get bored with this?" he looked at the computer disdainfully.  
  
"No, not really. I think it's very interesting," she answered, and he started nibbling on her neck.  
  
"Well, I have an even more 'interesting' way to pass the time," he said, his voice muffled by her neck. Bulma sighed and tilted her head so he could reach more of her neck.  
  
"Mm, I'd love to, but I can't. I have to finish this, and then I have new capsule devices to test, and then. . ." Bulma's list of things to do was cut off by Vegeta, who kissed her on the lips.  
  
"They can wait a while," he purred as he broke the kiss.  
  
"Noo, they can't. They need to get done today, or we'll be behind. _You_ will just have to wait," Bulma smiled at him and gave his chest a small push. He didn't move an inch.  
  
"No, I won't," he answered as he kissed her again.  
  
"Just wait an hour, okay?" she pleaded when the second kiss ended. Vegeta didn't look like he was going to agree, but then he sighed, kissed her again, and backed off.  
  
"Fine," he said, and then smirked. "I'll be back in one hour. Be undressed when I get here." Bulma shook her head in a 'heaven-help-me' gesture as Vegeta left. She looked at the clock real quick so she would know when it would be one hour later. Vegeta was very punctual. Vegeta was chortling to himself as he walked away from Bulma's lab, but he stopped abruptly as the soft sound of running feet caught his ears. The footsteps weren't any that he recognized, so he looked around carefully, but didn't see anything. He didn't feel any stray kis in the area either. His senses now on full alert, Vegeta continued moving.  
  
Odan made a mental note about being more careful when sneaking around. His suspicions were almost completely verified, and he was nervous. If he was right, then he'd have to do something, and fast. For if this was the Vegeta that Odan knew of, then Bulma was unwittingly married to an intergalactic killer. **************************************************************************** ****  
  
Have I got your attention yet? If not, check out Ch.2: "I Know Who You Are. . ."  
  
Comments, good or bad? E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! 


	2. TBF12

I don't own DBZ, Akira Toriyama does, this is just a fanfic. I do own Odan Goe and Kari, though.  
  
_This_ is emphasized, and ((this)) is a thought. **************************************************************************** ****  
  
Things Best Forgotten Part 1 by NansJns  
  
Don't look back! The thunder's rolling. Don't look back! You know what's there. Don't look back! The sight will break you. Look ahead, and forget to care.  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch.2: "I Know Who You Are. . ."  
  
Goku noticed pretty quickly that Vegeta was more tense than usual. They had been practicing for over an hour, and Vegeta was this side of blowing up the gravity room. Usually he didn't get like that until they'd been training for at least six hours, or Kari pulled another one of her 'home-made' techniques that frustrated them both so. Kari had work to do, so she couldn't join them that day, and Goku was a little grateful. Vegeta didn't need the extra push.  
  
"Hey, Vegeta, what's up? You're jumping to the big guns much faster than usual," Goku finally spoke up as he avoided a rather large ki blast.  
  
"Someone has been watching me!" Vegeta answered as he prepared another ki ball.  
  
"Believe me, I'm watching you very carefully!" Goku replied as he readied a ki attack of his own.  
  
"Not you, you idiot! Someone has been watching Capsule Corp. for the last few days!" Vegeta snarled as he unleashed his ki blow.  
  
"Oh yeah? How do you know?" Goku deflected the ki and fired his own ki beam.  
  
"I've heard footsteps, felt eyes on my back, caught glimpses of moving shadows. I'm sure that someone has been spying on me," Vegeta growled, dodged the beam, and lunged at Goku.  
  
"Have you told Bulma about this?" Goku asked as he blocked Vegeta's furious kicks and punches. He then turned to the offense and started hitting and kicking back.  
  
"She thought I was imagining things," Vegeta blocked the blows and brought his knee up into Goku's gut. Goku gasped for a moment. "Until Trunks said he'd been noticing things too."  
  
"Huh. So, why haven't you caught whoever it is?" Goku straightened up and dropped back into a combat stance.  
  
"Because every time I try, he disappears! He's either the fastest son of a bitch in the galaxy, or he's throwing around extra shadows to distract me while he gets away!" Vegeta snapped and swung a kick at Goku's mid-section. "I'm going friggin' crazy trying to catch this bastard!" Vegeta's ki suddenly turned gold, as did his hair.  
  
"Hey! There's no need to take it out on me! But if you want to go Super Saiyan. . .!" Goku barked back, and stepped up to Super Saiyan as well. Odan watched the whole thing from a distance with binoculars. His heart was hammering. He had read their lips, and knew what they had just done. Super Saiyan. Saiyan. ((May Kami have mercy on all of us. . .)) he thought quietly.  
  
Shortly after Goku went home, Bulma was headed out to pick up some ingredients for dinner. Having a Saiyan and a half-Saiyan in the house tended to cause food supplies to rapidly diminish. Bulma had quickly learned not to take either of them shopping, either - they wanted everything in the store. She was a few steps from the front door when Odan came up the sidewalk.  
  
"Odan! Hi! It's been a week! I was beginning to think you wouldn't be able to come!" Bulma called to him and waved. He waved back weakly.  
  
"Hi, Bulma. Listen, I think we need to talk. . ." he started, but at that exact moment, Vegeta and Trunks came out of CC. Odan frowned at them, a look of distrust and fear flickering into his eyes.  
  
"Mom, we thought of a few more things you need to get. Who's that?" Trunks paused as he looked at the stranger. Vegeta's dark eyes locked onto him and a small frown creased his face.  
  
"This is my old friend, the one I told you about - Odan Goe," Bulma explained. "Odan, this is my husband, Vegeta, and our son, Trunks," she introduced them.  
  
"Oh yeah - the guy who moved away. Hello," Trunks said with a friendly smile.  
  
"Hello," Vegeta said stiffly.  
  
"Hello." Odan replied just as stiffly. Bulma glanced back and forth at them, wondering at the sudden tension in the air.  
  
"Did you move away because your parents found work elsewhere?" Trunks asked, hoping to ease the situation. Odan snorted in response.  
"My parents were long dead by then. I had to leave because my body couldn't handle breathing the Earth's atmosphere any longer," Odan answered coldly. Just the sight of Vegeta was making him lose control.  
  
"What?!" all three of them balked, and then a line of light passed down Odan's body. The human appearance vanished with the light, revealing solid-black skin, pointed ears, cat-like eyes, and two wide white stripes down his face over his eyes.  
  
"O-Odan?!" Bulma gasped. Odan focused only on Vegeta.  
  
"Vegeta. I knew I'd heard that name before, and that I'd seen your face. Prince Vegeta, ruler of the Saiyans, the butchers who slaughtered my race and sold my planet!" Odan snarled. Vegata felt shock fill his veins with ice.  
  
"Dad? What's he talking about?" Trunks asked nervously. Before Vegeta could answer, Odan raised one arm and Vegeta and Trunks found they couldn't move a muscle. With them safely locked into place, Odan turned to Bulma.  
  
"How could you marry this mass-murdering bastard? Do you have any clue as to the atrocities he's guilty of? He reeks of innocent blood!" Odan proclaimed. His fear and hate of the Saiyans was over-ridding his common sense. Bulma struggled to say something but could find no words. How could she answer questions like those? Odan's eyes flashed to Trunks, who just looked frightened and confused. "And more than marry! You bore him a child! A son! A son with power equal to his father's! How many innocents will he massacre?!" Odan shouted, then he took a few deep breaths and seemed to regain a little of his control and sanity. "No, it's not your fault. I don't know how he tricked you, but it's over now."  
  
"But you're wrong!" Bulma finally found her voice. "He didn't trick me! I know he did some terrible things in the past, but. . ."  
  
"Crimes he was never punished for," Odan's eyes narrowed as he pulled a long, silver dagger from a sheath inside his coat. "Crimes he will pay for now."  
  
"Coward!" Vegeta growled, still unable to move. It was bad enough that this man had dragged up his past after he had worked so long and hard to forget it, but to revive it in front of Trunks, who had never known about it, was the last straw.  
  
"Don't try to get me to challenge you to a one on one fight. I know I can't win. This is about justice," Odan observed icily and raised the dagger to ram it into Vegeta's chest. ((You should suffer before you die, but I don't want to give you a chance to escape. A dagger will be a little more painful and take a little longer than a bullet or laser beam. It will have to do.)) Odan reasoned as he started to drop the blade.  
  
"STOP!" Bulma screamed before the dagger dropped more than inch. She was terrified. She had to do something to save her husband and her son. She had a bad feeling Odan might take Trunks out too to prevent him from doing anything like what Vegeta used to do. Odan turned to look at her, still holding his dagger at the ready. "Please, stop! Listen to me, Odan. . ."  
  
"Bulma, trust me - this animal has to die. For everything he's done. . .it's almost too good for him," Odan's eyes blazed with a hate unlike any Vegeta had ever seen before. "All Saiyans should die. It was such a stroke of luck when their planet was destroyed. . .but a few got away! That Goku guy. . .and the woman Kari. . .and _you_, 'your highness'. . . they all have to be dealt with!" Bulma moved between the two men quickly and held out her arms in a defensive gesture.  
  
"Just listen to me! He's not like that any more! Trunks, Goku, and Kari have never been like that! These are good people!" Bulma snapped loudly. She didn't dare mention Goku's sons. There was no reason to pull them into unnecessary danger. Kari had been pushy, but she was no planet destroyer. "And besides. . .he only did those things because Frieza ordered him too!"  
  
"Frieza? Frieza just paid them for it. Even if he wasn't there, they would have gone right ahead and wiped out planets anyway," Odan shook his head. "You shouldn't speak of things you don't understand."  
  
"You're the one who doesn't understand! Look, please, Odan, if you're really my friend, you'll let me talk to you. . .away from here. You'll hear me out," Bulma pleaded swiftly.  
  
"Don't go anywhere with him!" Vegeta hissed.  
  
"I know what I'm doing," Bulma answered. Odan seemed to consider her words for several long moments. Finally, he sighed and re-sheathed his dagger.  
  
"All right. We'll talk," he agreed. "My ship is this way. We'll have privacy there," he motioned to the right, and Bulma nodded. They quietly walked away.  
  
"No! Bulma, come back! Bulma!" Vegeta's body strained to move, but whatever Odan had done was strong, and he still couldn't move.  
  
"Dad. . .what was he talking about? Why did he say those things to you, about you?" Trunks' voice was soft, and held a tiny tremble. He was afraid of what the answer might be. Vegeta was silent as he watched his mate and would-be executioner disappear down the street.  
  
"Trunks. . ." Vegeta finally said when he couldn't see them any longer, "before I met your mother. . .I was a planet pirate. All Saiyans were. We'd go in, wipe out all intelligent life, and then sell the place. Frieza was a tyrant lord who had us under his thumb. We'd go where he ordered us to go. Kakarot was sent to this planet as a baby to conquer it. But he hit his head, and lost his memory. I grew up under Frieza's watchful eyes. I killed, and I didn't care. I didn't know how to care. But then. . ." Vegeta drew in a slow breath. It was just sort of pouring out of him, and he needed to get it all out. Trunks felt sick. "I came here. I fought Kakarot and lost. I returned to Frieza, and ended up on Planet Namek chasing Dragon Balls. Frieza killed me, and then I was wished back to life and to Earth with the Namek people. I ended up staying at Capsule Corp. while I waited for Kakarot to return and then while waiting for the androids, and I fell in love with your mother. We had you, and after a while I found I couldn't kill indiscriminately anymore. What I was. . .is just a dark shadow clinging to my heels now. Your mother and I didn't want you to know about my past," Vegeta admitted. He looked at his son, who looked very thoughtful.  
  
"So everything he said was true?" Trunks said lowly.  
  
"More or less," Vegeta sighed. Would Trunks turn on him now?  
  
"But. . .you're good now, Dad. You were brought back with all the other good people with the wish made during the fight against Buu," Trunks brightened some. Vegeta smirked.  
  
"That's right. I'm not that monster anymore. I'm a new kind of monster," he chortled. They stayed frozen for what felt like forever, but was more like thirty minutes.  
  
"Dad?" Trunks spoke again. Vegeta darted his eyes to him. "Don't worry. We'll get Mom back, safe and sound. And. . .I don't care about what you used to do." Vegeta smiled a little and suddenly reached out and touched Trunks' head. They both blinked. They could move again!  
  
"It wore off!" Vegeta exclaimed, and they both felt around for Bulma's ki. It took only a few seconds to find it, and they blasted off after her. Odan was crazy, and they weren't going to leave her alone with him.  
  
"Hey, what's up?" Goten suddenly joined them. "I thought we were going to. . ."  
  
"No time! My mom's trying to talk a crazy person into not killing us!" Trunks cut Goten off. Goten looked confused.  
  
"Say what?" the black-haired boy scratched his head.  
  
"What's all the fuss? I was home when I felt your kis sky rocket," Goku suddenly teleported in.  
  
"We'll explain on the way!" Vegeta hissed as he tried to find Odan's spaceship.  
  
Bulma sat in a room of Odan's ship. It was small, but comfortable. Odan sat across from her, watching her intently.  
  
"I just don't understand. How could you. . .willingly, with that. . .that monster?!" Odan had to force the words out. Bulma tried to think of a way to explain, but he took her silence as an answer. "_Was_ it willingly, Bulma?" That question threw her; she was so shocked she started to sputter. "Did he force himself on you?" Odan pressed, sure he knew the answer.  
  
"HE. . .DID. . .NOT!" Bulma's shock gave way to anger. "I practically instigated the whole thing! Vegeta has _never_ forced himself on me," she said firmly and loudly. Doubt flickered in Odan's eyes, but he said no more about it.  
  
"How can you overlook everything he's done?" he asked quietly after a few uncomfortable moments. "How can you just pretend it didn't happen? That he didn't do it?"  
  
"The past is the past. It can't be changed. But he has changed, Odan. He's. . .loving, and warm. He loves me, and our son. He died once to protect us, and this planet. He did some terrible things, but he's making up for them now," Bulma said softly and reasonably. Odan scoffed and shook his head.  
  
"He can never repay the universe for what he and his race did," Odan observed coldly.  
  
"You can't hold him responsible for the entire Saiyan race," Bulma countered.  
  
"Why not? He is the Prince, isn't he? They were his people," Odan pointed out.  
  
"He was six when his planet was destroyed! He never had any power over them!" Bulma snapped.  
  
"What about the others who survived? Those who escaped some of their attacks said there were three male Saiyans, the Prince and two others," Odan stated sharply. Bulma swallowed nervously. "And then there's Goku and Kari, not to mention your son."  
  
"All right. . .he had some power over Nappa and Raditz. . .but they're dead now. Goku grew up on Earth, thinking he was human. He's never done an evil deed in his life. As for Kari- she was kept in a cage her whole life until twelve years ago. Frieza was using her as a guinea pig. Once she was free, she spent all of her time trying to find others like her. And Trunks is a sweet, intelligent, happy little boy who never even knew about his father's past until you started raving about it!" Bulma declared strongly. Odan sighed.  
  
"Let's. . .take a little break, get something to drink. We both need to calm down and think a little," he said as he stood up. Bulma stood as well, and after he left to fetch drinks, she turned and walked to a nearby window. She sighed deeply and leaned against the cool glass. ((He's not really listening. But what if. . .he's right? What if. . .Vegeta is unforgivable? No! I know _I'm_ right! Vegeta is. . .the other half of my soul.)) Bulma closed her eyes, and could just about feel Vegeta's arms around her. She was right, and she had to make Odan see that. What worried her most was that she had realized he wasn't crazy, just very, very scared and full of hate and remembered pain. ((That makes him just as dangerous, but more mentally sound to carry out his plans.)) she thought as she bit her lip.  
  
The Saiyans stared at the unassuming building. Their senses told them that Bulma was right below them, but the building didn't really look like a spaceship - unless it was disguised. While they had been searching, Gohan had joined them after feeling all of their kis.  
  
"I say we go down there and knock," Vegeta said as he dropped to the ground. They all followed him and made ready to enter the building\spaceship.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
Can the history of the Saiyans really be forgotten and forgiven? Next time, Ch. 3: Justice.  
  
E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! If my address doesn't work, send your comments to my brother, Scorpinac@aol.com! 


	3. TBF13

The history of the Saiyans has caught up with Vegeta, Goku, and their families. The past can't just be buried.  
  
DBZ don't belong to me. **************************************************************************** ****  
  
Things Best Forgotten Part 1 by NansJns  
  
Running from the darkness, Running from the day, Running from the voices. See no other way.  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch. 3: Justice  
  
Vegeta could tell by the feel of the door that it wasn't what it appeared to be. The door looked like wood, but felt like metal. He gripped the knob and ripped out the entire door from its frame. Not surprisingly, an alarm began to blare before the pieces of torn metal even hit the ground. Ignoring the noise, Vegeta, Trunks, Goku, Gohan, and Goten walked into a metal hallway filled with flashing red lights.  
  
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Hull compromised. . ." a mechanical voice wailed with the siren.  
  
"This way," Vegeta said as he headed right. The others followed suit.  
  
"What in the world. . .?!" Bulma gasped, and then realized the obvious. "Vegeta! Trunks! They must be here!" she turned and started to run, only to be grabbed from behind by Odan.  
  
"Quiet! They'll hear you!" he hissed. "I told you they were monsters! They've damaged my ship, I won't be able to take off before it's repaired! Not that it matters; they probably won't let me escape alive anyway." Odan's voice was low and trembling, almost like a frightened child's. For a moment, Bulma felt a stab of pity for him, that the very thought of Saiyans terrified him so completely.  
  
"Odan, please!" Bulma pleaded softly, "they won't hurt you when they see I'm safe and that you mean them no harm."  
  
"No harm?! I'd kill them all if it were in my power!" Odan snapped, and mentally he cursed himself for not coming prepared.  
  
"Odan!" Bulma gasped.  
  
"Bulma!" a loud, deep voice echoed across the room, and Bulma turned to see her mate standing in the nearby doorway with her son and their friends. He was seething. "Get your hands off her, Odan!" Vegeta demanded.  
  
"So that's Odan?" Goku inquired lightly, and got a nod from Trunks.  
  
"Oh, yes! I can see what a good person he's become, Bulma!" Odan glared at Vegeta as he spoke by Bulma's ear.  
  
"I never said he'd lost his temper! Now, let me go before. . ." Bulma struggled against his grip.  
  
"And let you run to those murderers? I think not!" Odan shook his head.  
  
"Damn it, Odan, didn't you hear a word I said before?! Kari, Trunks, and Goku and his sons. . .oh no!" Bulma wanted to kick herself; she had just revealed that there were two more half-Saiyans.  
  
"I thought those two looked a lot like that Goku guy. Great; so that makes, what, six? Shit - that's more than we thought," he muttered to himself. He never saw Trunk's foot slam into his shoulder. He simply felt the pain and went flying while releasing a cry of shock and agony. Vegeta was on him a second later, pinning him to the floor. Bulma moved out of the way and fought back tears.  
  
"Please! Don't hurt each other! We have to clear this up!" she shouted loud enough for all of them to hear. Odan would never be convinced that the Saiyans weren't all evil if they beat him up. Odan let out a snarl of rage and his eyes flashed. In an instant, the Saiyans found they couldn't move. "Oh, no, no! Odan! Don't hurt my husband and son!" Bulma could feel the tears going down her cheeks now. Odan pushed Vegeta onto his feet. Vegeta was mentally saying swear word after swear word.  
  
"You might as well let a poison into your veins as let him into your life! He destroys all he touches, him and all his race! It's what they revel in! Death and destruction! It was a day of celebration when their world and most of them died!" Odan declared for all ears to hear. He then looked evenly at Bulma. "You can't save him this time, or any of them."  
  
"No," Bulma whispered. Vegeta wished he could move his arms so he could make Odan stop talking, or at least cover his ears. He could hear the hate, fear, and pain behind Odan's words - they all could. Vegeta had never thought much about his past before Bulma; he knew he would go crazy if he did. Now his past had finally returned to haunt him. Odan leaned in close to Vegeta's ear as he pulled his dagger back out.  
"I gave you your life back. It was your choice to throw it away," Odan's dagger flashed silver as he raised it high, then dropped it in a deadly, smooth arc to Vegeta's unprotected chest. There was a horrible, sickening THUNK as the dagger landed. Trunks screamed before he could stop himself. Bright, crimson blood left wet paths as it streaked to the ground where it hit with a soft splash. Vegeta was still unable to move. He could only stare down in horror and disbelief at the hilt of the dagger. . .sticking out of _Bulma's_ back. She clung to him with weakening arms, and he could feel the front of his shirt grow moist with her tears. She had thrown herself between him and Odan in time to take the dagger for him. Odan pulled back in shock and horror. "Bulma, why? Why? For him . . .?" Odan gasped, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing. Bulma held Vegeta with all the strength she had left in her arms. She turned her wet face to her childhood friend.  
  
"I know he did terrible things in the past. . .but he's changed. . .he's a good man now, and. . .I love him," she said weakly. Odan felt a dagger though his own heart and soul. He was confused, hurt, and completely lost. The emotions turned to anger as he looked at the still-frozen Prince of the Saiyans.  
  
"You. . .this is all your fault!" he yelled at him.  
  
"MINE?! You son of a bitch! You caused all of this!" Vegeta screamed in return.  
  
"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!!" Goku's voice cut off any further argument. "Bulma is dying! You have to take her to a hospital!" As if to prove him right, Bulma's grip on Vegeta went slack and she fell to the floor very pale. Vegeta snapped from Odan's control and knelt down by her. He quickly gathered up her fragile body into his arms and flew off at top speed. Odan stumbled back, alarmed that Vegeta had broken his control without even thinking about it. His surprise allowed the others to get loose, and Trunks punched him in the arm.  
  
"That's for stabbing my mom!" Trunks snapped as they all flew off to follow Vegeta and Bulma. Odan quietly collapsed onto the floor and fought to clear his mind.  
  
Bulma was vaguely aware of flying, and of the sounds of voices talking over her and doors opening and closing. Eventually, her eyes fully opened and she could see and hear everything with more clarity. The sun was high in the sky outside the window, and the room she was in was clean and pale green. She blinked a bit, and moved her right arm to rub her eyes. She tilted her hand and looked at the IV needle that was stuck in it and taped down. Her fuzzy thoughts finally locked onto the answer.  
  
"Of course. . .I'm in the hospital," she muttered. The was a dull ache in her back, and she had a feeling it would be a lot worse of she wasn't on pain killers.  
  
"Mom, you're awake!" Trunks' happy voice drew her eyes to the left, where he and his father had just entered the room. Trunks held a large bouquet of flowers and Vegeta looked relieved. Trunks ran up to her and set the flowers aside, and Vegeta sat next to her. For the first time Bulma noticed the teddy bear in Vegeta's hand, which had big brown eyes and a bright red ribbon around its neck. Bulma looked at it in amusement and surprise. "I'm so glad you're okay!" Trunks sighed in relief.  
  
"It was Trunks' idea," Vegeta diverted his eyes and handed her the stuffy. Bulma took it and smiled at them. "It's good to see you awake."  
  
"I'll bet. How long was I out?" she asked. "And the flowers are lovely," she smiled at their son.  
  
"Since yesterday evening. I got you here before you lost too much blood, and the blade managed to miss everything vital," Vegeta stroked her face gently.  
  
"We haven't seen Odan since, and his ship is gone. We think he fixed his ship and left the planet," Trunks told her. Bulma nodded gently.  
  
"It wouldn't completely surprise me. . ." Bulma answered.  
  
"I moved my ship so it would take you a little longer to find it. I had something to do before I left," Odan's voice said behind them, and they turned to see him walk into the room.  
  
"Odan!" they all snapped. Vegeta damned himself for not feeling his ki as he approached. He had been so focused on Bulma he had ignored everything else.  
  
"I'm leaving within the hour," Odan told them. They didn't move. "Your love for her is so strong, you broke my mind control. That's really something, in case you didn't know. Maybe you have changed. And maybe those others didn't have any part in what the Saiyans once did. For Bulma's happiness, I'm willing to back off. But know this - there are people out there that hate you even more than I do, and they are far more vicious, deadly, and unforgiving than I am," he said simply. "Goodbye, Bulma," he added gently as he turned to leave. "I'm sorry you were hurt." With that, he was gone. Bulma, Vegeta, and Trunks sat in silence contemplating his words for what felt like a long time.  
  
* * * *  
  
"All right, Mrs. Briefs, come in next week and we'll take out those stitches," the doctor on the other side of the phone was direct but gentle. His secretary was out on break, so he had answered the phone himself.  
  
"Okay then," Bulma answered.  
  
"You know, you're really quite lucky the loss of blood didn't harm the baby," the doctor proclaimed out of the blue. Bulma froze.  
  
"Baby? What baby?" Bulma looked at the phone as if it were a strange creature.  
"Don't you know? You're nearly two months pregnant," the doctor replied cheerfully.  
  
"I AM?!" Bulma jumped up out of her seat.  
  
"Yes! I thought you knew! Don't worry, the baby is fine despite your injury," the doctor said. "We told you this while you were in the hospital, remember? Oh, wait. . .you were on heavy pain killers at the time, you probably _don't_ remember. Sorry about that, that was horribly sloppy of us," he added. Now that Bulma thought about it, she did have a dim memory of a doctor saying something about a baby to her, but she was so doped up on morphine at the time she didn't quite catch it.  
  
"Th-thank you," Bulma stuttered, and hung up the phone. After sitting still for a second, she dashed off to find Vegeta, who was in the gravity room with Trunks the last time she'd seen him. Sure enough, they were still in there, and she switched off the gravity with the special, hidden, outside button and opened the door. They glanced at her vaguely annoyed, and suddenly noticed that she was beaming.  
  
"Good news from the doctor?" Vegeta ventured. He knew she was on the phone with him.  
  
"Wonderful news. I'm pregnant again," Bulma answered. Vegeta went into shock.  
  
"Are. . .are you sure?" Vegeta asked, looking at her body.  
  
"That's what the doctor said, and I'm willing to believe his opinion," Bulma smiled, took his hand, and put it on her belly. "We're going to have another baby!" she said gleefully. The shock finally wore off, and Vegeta gave her a crushing hug. Trunks was silent, not sure what to think. "You're going to be a big brother, Trunks. Just like Gohan," Bulma turned to him.  
  
"Yeah! I think I could do that," Trunks nodded, but he still wasn't sure. "I can train him to be as strong as we are!"  
  
"Or her," Bulma piped. They both looked at her. "It could be a girl," Bulma insisted. She wasn't sure she wanted her daughter training like this, but she'd be half-Saiyan and would probably want to. Vegeta shrugged and continued smiling, but Trunks suddenly looked upset. A . . .Girl? Vegeta didn't put good odds on that - most Saiyan children were male. Kami only knew why, but female births just weren't as common.  
  
Odan stared at the face on the communicator evenly. The face, in turn, was grimacing in anger.  
  
"You went to the suspected home of the Saiyan survivors without backup or The Poison?!" the man demanded.  
  
"Sorry, sir, but I wasn't going there to fight - just to check on an old friend," Odan explained. The man heaved a small sigh and forced himself to calm down.  
  
"Well, now that we have an official eye witness that they're there, we can send in our best men. We'll free the universe of those intergalactic butchers yet," the man gave a quick nod.  
  
"For the survival of all life," Odan and the man said together, and then the communicator shut off. Odan sighed deeply and glanced at his picture of Bulma and himself as children. "I'm sorry, Bulma. . .but believe me, this is for the best," he said softly.  
  
End Part 1.  
  
**************************************************************************** ****  
  
I know, short and sweet, but the main story is in Part Two, so be here for Part 2 Chapter 1: Things of the Past and Future!  
  
Comments? E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! I'd love to hear from you! 


	4. TBF21

Hello there, and welcome to Part 2! If you haven't read Part 1, I heartily suggest you do or you risk getting confused.  
  
DBZ doesn't belong to me, I admit it here and now, so keep those lawyers on their leashes! Kari and all other new characters are mine though, and I'd like you to ask before using them, or at least tell me you are!  
  
Oh, and by the way, ((this)) is a thought, and _this_ is emphasized. **************************************************************************** **  
  
Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns  
  
Cross my name out of your pages. Turn your face away, forget the sight. Put back the stone you found me under. Don't drag me back into the light.  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch.1: Things of the Past and Future  
  
Chi-chi washed up the lunch dishes while humming a light tune to herself. It had been quiet and peaceful for the last four months, and she was pleased. Her husband and sons had been around, doing what they usually do, and Goku had actually been helping her around the house a bit. She slowed down in her work for a moment and bit her lip as she considered what had brought on her husband's helpfulness. They had told her all about Odan, and what he had said about the Saiyans. She knew it was bothering Goku a great deal, and he had been trying to comfort himself with her nearness. It was very sweet, and felt kind of vindicating to know that he needed her to feel sure of himself. Chi-chi finished washing the dishes and started putting them away, when she turned around and saw Goku sitting at the table. His head was in his hand, his eyes were downcast, and he was slightly slumped over. Chi-chi almost dropped the plates she was holding - she'd never seen him look so depressed. She quickly put the plates away and went over to him, placing one small hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her briefly before dropping his gaze again.  
"Goku, what's the matter?" she asked gently. He heaved a deep sigh.  
"I just. . .I can't get what Odan said out of my head. That all Saiyans should die for what they've done," Goku answered quietly. "I never really associated myself with the other Saiyans before, but. . .I am. . .I was sent to this world to kill everyone here."  
"But you didn't. You grew up here, and became one of the best men to ever draw breath. You have never done anything evil, Goku, and neither have our sons. You shouldn't feel guilty because others did wrong," Chi-chi said and wrapped her arms around his shoulders so her hands fell more-or-less over his heart. "Besides, if you weren't a Saiyan, this world would have ended a long time ago. You've saved us all so many times."  
"I know. . ." Goku smiled a little and gently placed his hand over hers.  
"Then stop thinking about Odan. He was just a frightened, hate- filled man who didn't know a thing about any of you," Chi-chi instructed.  
"I suppose so," Goku leaned his head back a bit to rest it on her shoulder. Chi-chi listened to his breathing and felt his heart beating beneath her fingertips. She knew he still needed some cheering up, but she wasn't sure how. Her eyes drifted to the window. It had been abnormally warm the last few days, and the sun was out and shining.  
"Hey," she murmured into his ear, "why don't we go for a swim? Just the two of us." Goku turned his head to look in her eyes.  
"Well. . . sure!" Goku smiled and gave a small nod.  
"All right, let me get my swimsuit, and you get yours," Chi-chi returned his smile and let go of him. Goku frowned at the idea of having to wear a suit, but he complied.  
  
Gohan listened to the teacher as best he could, though his mind was striving to wander off. He found this particular college subject more than a little dull, but that wasn't the main problem. The main problem was he was supposed to meet Videl later to explain why he seemed to be keeping a distance from her recently. Ever since that incident with Odan, Gohan had been thinking. "They revel in death and destruction" Odan had said - Gohan knew that wasn't true of him, but. . .but, when he went to fight Buu, before he was flattened, he knew, he had felt a surge through his body at the challenge of it. And when he went after Buu the second time, wearing his dad's colors, his blood all but sang with the coming of battle. He was half Saiyan, and no matter how gentle and kind his basic nature was, somewhere deep inside he loved a good challenge. That knowledge made him nervous around Videl now. He sighed as he tried to think of a way to explain such things to Videl. He didn't want to lose her, she meant so much to him. He thought of his father with a small tinge of envy. ((At least Dad has Mom to lean on. She already understands all of this.)) he thought.  
  
The lake water was just above freezing, but that was okay. Chi-chi was scanning the water carefully, searching for Goku. He had gone under a few moments ago, and she needed to find him.  
"Hey, Chi-chi! I thought I felt Goku around here," Krillin suddenly dropped out of the air and landed on the bank closest to Chi-chi. "Isn't the water too cold for swimming?"  
"Almost. He's around here somewhere, now please wait," Chi-chi waved Krillin off, never taking her eyes from the water.  
"Huh? Chi-chi, what are you doing?" Krillin watched as she turned in a full circle, still looking into the water.  
"Goku went under just a moment ago. I have to find him. Now, please, Krillin, stop distracting me!" Chi-chi looked up at the short man and the water seemed to explode around her as Goku came up underneath her and caught her in his arms. Chi-chi shrieked in surprise.  
"Ha-ha! Gotcha! That's another point for me!" Goku laughed cheerfully.  
"Ooh, that's not fair! Krillin distracted me!" Chi-chi complained while playfully punching Goku's chest.  
"Whoa! What the? Points?" Krillin was now completely lost.  
"Oh, hi, Krillin," Goku smiled at his friend. "We're just playing a little game. You get a point if you manage to surprise your opponent. Now, about my point," Goku turned to his wife, who gave him a kiss. "Thank you," he snickered.  
"Oh, I see. Well, I was just passing by and thought I'd say 'hi' and ask how things are going with Kari et all," Krillin explained quickly, realizing he had dropped into a husband-wife game. The last time they had talked, Goku had told him a little about Odan, and Krillin had started to wonder how Goku was taking it, given the long look on his face when he told him.  
"Kari? She's fitting in real well. Everybody's fine, and Bulma's pregnancy is coming along nicely from what we heard last," Goku gave him the short version. Krillin gave an approving nod. The word had reached them a while ago that Bulma and Vegeta were expecting another baby.  
"Yeah? Glad to hear it. Well, uh, I guess I'll leave you two be," Krillin flashed a wide grin and gave a small wave. "Bye!"  
"Bye, Krillin!" Goku and Chi-chi waved in return and watched him fly away. Then Goku settled Chi-chi back into the water.  
"Okay, it's your turn now," he observed.  
"Right," she nodded, and swam off. She smiled to herself. This had been a very good idea. She could tell he was really feeling better.  
  
After school, Goten and Trunks half-sparred, half-ran through the woods, their faces tight with concentration. Normally, they would've been laughing and gloating over good hits, but they didn't much feel like it now.  
"My dad looked depressed again this morning," Goten said as he dodged a low kick.  
"My dad hasn't been sleeping well again," Trunks answered as he swung a quick punch that Goten avoided. Goten flung a few kicks that only did minimal damage.  
"They're thinking about what Odan said again. Why? Odan didn't know about us, he was just. . .I dunno, just talking," Goten forked his brows as he thought about it. Trunks managed to get in a punch to his stomach, and Goten almost dropped.  
"My dad told me. . .Saiyans used to be planet pirates. They'd steal planets and sell them. Odan was one of those people who lost his planet," Trunks explained. Goten still looked uncertain.  
"Really? Well, none of us have ever done that, not even Kari. So why was he so mad at us?" Goten straightened up and went back into position.  
"My dad said. . .he did use to do that, years ago, before he knew my mom. But Odan was just lashing out against Saiyans in general, I think," Trunks studied his best friend's face as he spoke. Goten's dark eyes widened with surprise.  
"Your dad did?" Goten asked quietly. Trunks nodded.  
"A long time ago, not anymore," Trunks observed. They went back to sparring and the talk ceased.  
  
Kari typed at a speed unattainable for human fingers, pounding out a fifty page report in a matter of minutes. Those around her watched her in silent awe as she zipped through her work. What really got them was that even though she was moving so quickly, her work had no errors. Somehow, she was proofreading as she went. Once she was done writing, she did another quick scan - quicker than human eyes could do, and her co-workers wondered how she could speed- read and correct at the same time - and printed it out. As she waited for the slow printer (everybody else saw it as one of the fastest CC had ever built, but it was all a matter of opinion) she sipped her coffee and let her mind wander. She almost winced as it wandered straight to Bulma's pregnancy. That was eating at her - she wanted a pure Saiyan baby of her own, and now Bulma was pregnant with another half-Saiyan. It had been a little funny when she suggested in-vitro to give her her baby and they just stared at her for a moment before saying no. Still, Bulma's cheerful face and ever-rounding stomach felt like a slap at her. As Kari continued to think about Bulma's pregnancy, her mind slid to a slightly connected subject - Odan, and those like him. She had always wondered why so many of the peoples she had come across had feared and hated her so. Now that she knew a little more about the Saiyans, it made sense. Still, Odan worried her a touch. How many more out there were like him, willing to come hunting for them? ((Except for Vegeta, we're all innocent of planet piracy. I'm no angel, but I'm not evil, either. They shouldn't judge us based on what others did.)) Kari gave a small grunt as she drank the rest of her coffee and put her cup down. She put it down a little too hard, however, and the handle broke off in her hand.  
"Oh, damn! That's the fourth time this week!" Kari growled to herself and then started rummaging through her drawers. "Where'd I put the glue?"  
  
Bulma was in her office, doing what work she could. The baby was starting to kick, and it was driving her to distraction. She had to almost sit sideways so she could reach her desk and computer. Her belly was in the way when she sat facing forward. She typed away with a dreamy look on her face. The baby gave her stomach another resounding kick and then started demanding a shipment of refried beans and gummy bears. ((Kami, Saiyan children give you the weirdest cravings. . .)) Bulma shook her head quietly. ((Normal women crave pickles and ice cream, but not me! Noo, I want things like refried beans, chocolate milk with cherries and bananas in it, and pickled herring! And Chi-chi said she was like this too. Hm, what did she say she wanted? Oh, right! Gohan wanted salt and really rich cheeses, and Goten wanted orange slices dipped in peanut butter and smoked ham. Of course, Trunks favored pink lemonade and pepper jack cheese - together.)) she chuckled as she reached into her desk and popped a gummy bear into her mouth. She had picked up a bag on the way in that morning. She sighed and ran a hand over her stomach, and thought of her husband. He hadn't been sleeping much for a while, though he tried to hide it. She hoped it wasn't because of the new baby. He seemed happy about it, as happy as Vegeta ever seemed, but she was concerned. Maybe it was just what Odan had said that was bothering him, the curses, the threats. ((But then, that sort of thing never bothered him before. . .)) Bulma bit her lower lip lightly as she thought. Her hand remained over her abdomen as she thought about her children's father. She glanced at the clock and decided to call it a day.  
"I'm going home," she told her secretary as she left her office.  
"All right. Have a nice night, Ma'am," her secretary smiled at her as she went past.  
"You too," she smiled back, and then continued on her way.  
  
"You're back a little early, aren't you, Woman?" Vegeta asked as Bulma came in the door. She set her briefcase down and went over to him for a hug. He complied readily, though she could tell he wondered why she wanted one. Then the baby kicked again, hard enough that Vegeta felt it against his own stomach. Bulma pulled away from him and glared down at her abdomen.  
"Ooh, give it a rest, baby! My womb is not a training room!" she told it. Vegeta suppressed a small laugh.  
"Hey, the kid's got to start somewhere," Vegeta offered, and Bulma sent him a half- serious glare.  
"I swear, I must be all bruised inside from all the kicking. It's barely stopped all day!" Bulma put her hands on her rounded belly and felt the baby move a little.  
"Look at it this way: only two months and 10 days to go," Vegeta smirked. Bulma sighed a little. Not quite seven months pregnant, and the baby was already this active. The next few months were going to be a nightmare.  
"Trunks wasn't this active until the eighth month," she observed, feeling the baby start kicking again. Vegeta shrugged, but watched her hands with masked interest. He could tell she was feeling the baby kick again. Bulma noticed his eyes drifting across her belly and smiled. She took his hand before he could say anything and placed it over where the kicking was. "Here, see?" she said, and Vegeta felt his unborn child's movement. He smiled before he could stop himself, then snapped back to normal, retrieving his hand.  
"He's going to be strong, all right," Vegeta observed.  
"Yes, it certainly will be. How could it not? But you don't know it's going to be a boy," Bulma pointed out as she sat down awkwardly on the nearest chair.  
"I'm going with the good odds," Vegeta shook his head lightly.  
"I'm home! What's for dinner?" Trunks came through the front door at that moment. "Hi, Mom! Home from work already? Is something wrong?" Trunks went from happy to see her to worried in a surprisingly fast and fluid motion.  
"Nothing's wrong. The baby was just kicking the stuffing out of me so I decided to come home early," Bulma explained with a smile. "As for dinner, I need to see what we've got." Bulma got up with a little more grace than she sat down with, but not a lot. She then went into the kitchen to see what they had for dinner. Vegeta watched her go, thinking of the damage Odan could've done. He praised Kami again that the loss of blood hadn't hurt the baby. Bulma had been seeing doctors regularly, and all agreed the baby was just fine, no harm done from the temporary loss of blood. Yet, it felt like something still tugged at the back of Vegeta's mind. Something he had forgotten that wanted to be remembered.  
  
That evening, after Bulma and the rest of the house had fallen asleep, Vegeta sighed and rolled over for the hundredth time. He couldn't sleep again; he hadn't slept well in three months. The worst part was, he didn't know why. He just couldn't sleep. He knew Bulma was worried that his sleeplessness was somehow being caused by the coming of the new baby, and he also knew the baby wasn't the problem - he was happy they were having a second child, he really was! He gazed at his sleeping mate and wrapped his arms around her, something that had become markedly more difficult as her pregnancy had progressed. He smiled a tiny bit as he felt the small ki in her womb react to his closeness, seemingly turning to him. ((Who would've thought I'd bring a second life into this. . .wait. . .second life? Why does that phrasing sound familiar?)) Vegeta suddenly felt uneasy. That particular phrase called to something buried deep in his mind, something that awoke with the abruptness of a lightning strike.  
  
He was ten years old, and had decimated a new planet for Frieza, when an old woman leaning on a tall walking stick appeared out of the smoke.  
"Know this, Young Prince!" the old woman had called across the twenty or so feet that separated them, "One day, the misdeeds you do now will put those you love in grave danger! The coming of the second life marks the coming of the blood!" Vegeta had simply snorted and fired a ki blast at her, but she vanished before it hit.  
"Nappa, what's love?" he had asked later.  
"I don't know, Your Highness," Nappa had shrugged, and with that Vegeta had forgotten the whole thing.  
  
He remembered it all now, and understood. ((Second life? Our second child?)) Vegeta held Bulma a little closer. ((Kami-damn it, this is my family, and I'll protect them! That old woman didn't know what she was talking about!)) he declared to himself, but a small pocket of worry had already begun to form.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
I know I'm not the only one to have given Vegeta a prophecy, but there's more to this one than it seems. Anyway, things are going to get real interesting, real fast! Be here for chapter 2: Poisoned!  
  
Want to tell me what you think? E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! 


	5. TBF22

I state here and now, I don't own DBZ. I never did, and I never will. I'm not making one lead cent offa this, so keep off my back. However- I do own Kari and any other new characters I introduce. Please ask before using! Anyway, on with the show! **************************************************************************** **  
  
Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns  
  
Running from the living, Running from the dead. Running from the memories, Just one jump ahead.  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch. 2: Poisoned  
  
Trunks sighed and stretched as he walked onto his balcony. He could hear his parents bickering over the preparations for the baby's room through the wall and rubbed one ear. For the first year or so, the baby was going to sleep in Bulma and Vegeta's room, to make late night feedings and such easier, and then the baby would be moved to a room of its own. At least, that was the plan Bulma was trying to push through. Vegeta thought it would better if the baby stayed in their room for only six to eight months. Trunks chuckled as he recalled his grandfather telling him that pregnant women aren't sane. They think they are, but they aren't. Trunks noted that this fight was different from their usual bouts, since Vegeta was actually trying to keep Bulma relatively calm for the baby's sake.  
"A little brother. I wonder what it will be like," Trunks sighed to the cool night air. A soft wind made his long purple hair dance about his face. He pushed it back uselessly and stared up at the stars. He knew he needed a trim, but he hadn't gotten around to it. He stared at the stars and listened to his parents' voices lower to a more conversational tone, and smiled to himself. The stars twinkled down on him, as if giving their approval of his light mood, and suddenly he noticed that one of the stars was moving. A bright streak of light fell from the sky straight toward the mountains in the distance. For a second, Trunks thought he felt ki coming from it. "Hey. . .hey, Dad!! Come here quick!" Trunks called.  
"What is it?" Vegeta came into the room in time to hear something explode in the distance. "What was that?!" Vegeta was on the balcony in the blink of an eye and following Trunks' line of vision. Bulma moved up to join them as quickly as her body would allow.  
"I'm not sure. It looked like a falling star at first, but I don't think it was," Trunks explained. "I think I felt something. . .ki, maybe. I don't know."  
"Hm, I don't sense any powerful kis from it, but there's definitely something alive there. We'll check it out in the morning," Vegeta said, and Trunks nodded. Vegeta's senses were far better practiced at picking up weak signals.  
"Do you think it could be somebody looking for Kari? Their escape pods looked a lot like Saiyan pods, and to my understanding you land a Saiyan pod by crashing," Bulma offered the first thought she had to them.  
"Possibly. . .if it is, then it's her problem," Vegeta rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But why would they be coming for her now?"  
  
* * * *  
  
"Nice landing, Bose. Next time, I won't wear a seat belt so you can finish killing me!" the irrate voice snapped in the darkened control room.  
"Shove it! We're alive and can walk away. Besides, _you_ chose this place for a landing site. I told you there wasn't enough even ground," the second voice snarled in return.  
"Knock it off, both of you! We have a mission here, in case you forgot," the leader barked at both of them, making them fall silent.  
"Yes, sir," they both finally said.  
  
* * * *  
  
The early morning sun did little to warm the mountain air as Vegeta and Trunks flew toward where they saw the whatever-it-was land. They swooped lower to try and get a better view, and watched as the trees and grass started to give way to barren ground. They slowed down and hovered in the air as they came upon a crater. The hole was big and deep, but there was nothing in it.  
"Maybe it was just a meteorite," Trunks shrugged.  
"No, I don't think so," Vegeta shook his head, and they descended to the ground. Vegeta walked up to the hole and examined it while Trunks scanned the surrounding area. The purple- haired youth twitched at the feeling of an unfamiliar ki behind him, and all of his senses went on alert. A faint puffing/popping sound reached his ears and he started to turn, but not before something sharp buried itself into his shoulder.  
"What the. . .?!" Trunks winced and grabbed the thing in his shoulder, pulling it out. He held it up in the light and saw that it was a dart with a cylinder that had been full of something a moment ago - something that had just been pumped into him. He drew in a slow breath, and then choked out a cry as a burning pain spread through his shoulder, down his back, and into his chest. Agony exploded through his torso, and he stumbled back toward his father.  
"D-dad. . .Dad. . .I need h-help!" Trunks rasped out the words and fell to his knees ten feet from his father. Vegeta turned and stared at his fallen son's pale, pained face.  
"What the hell? What's wrong with you, Trunks?" Vegeta moved to his son quickly and knelt down with him. He could see no injury on his son's body, nothing at all to cause such a reaction.  
"This was. . .shot. . . into my. . .back! Oh, Kami! Pumped me full of something! It BURNS!!" Trunks heaved out the words and held up the dart. Vegeta took it and looked it over. Trunks continued to heave and gasp in pain beside him, until finally his blue eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over, Vegeta catching him before he hit the ground. Vegeta stared at his fallen child, and then turned hateful eyes to the woods around them. He could feel two faint kis out there.  
"WHO'S THERE?! COME OUT, COWARDS!!" he yelled. No answer came, except a small noise he didn't recognize coming from behind him. He snapped his head around and caught a dart like the one Trunks had showed him before it hit him. Then another dart landed in his chest. The one from behind was a feint. Vegeta snarled in anger as he pulled the dart out, and then fire bloomed to life through his chest. It spread through his chest and through his body, burning agony that numbed his thoughts. "Poison. . .damn it!" Vegeta groaned, then gathered up his son. He could hardly move, but he had to get them out of there. He threw up a mental barrier to keep the pain from reaching Bulma through the Bond. His one hope was that he reached Capsule Corp. before he lost consciousness.  
  
Goku, Gohan, and Goten had spent a pleasant afternoon fishing, and were heading home with their prize catch: a fish the size of a small whale. Goku held the head, Gohan supported its middle, and Goten held the tail. Any one of them could've easily held up all of its weight, but the fish was awkward and slippery, and it was easier to have all three of them hold it.  
"Man, Mom is going to have a fit when she sees this!" Goten laughed.  
"I think it would be best if we have it cleaned and ready for cooking by the time we get home," Goku observed cheerfully.  
"Sounds like a plan," Gohan agreed. They didn't hear the strange noises behind them. They dropped their fish as they felt sharp stings in their backs, and fire spread through their bodies.  
"Wh-what. . .?" Goku stuttered. He walled off his end of the Bond to keep Chi-chi from suffering while he could still think straight. The pain was increasing rapidly, and draining the strength from his body.  
"It-it hurts!" Goten choked.  
"Oh, Kami, what is this?" Gohan moaned as the fire-feeling spread through his body.  
"We-we. . .have to. . .get back to the house. . ." Goku gasped, and they dashed back home as best as their dying bodies could take them. Goten leaned heavily on his father, who half carried him. Chi-chi was outside hanging up some laundry when she saw her family coming up.  
"Well, there you are! What, no fish?" she called playfully, and then saw the pain they were in. She thought she had felt a brief burst of pain from Goku, but she hadn't known what to make of it. "What is it?! What's wrong?!" she ran up to them just before Goku collapsed. Gohan and Goten tumbled down after him. Darts glinted from their backs. "Oh my Kami. . .!!" Chi-chi gasped, and ran to find a phone. She came back out with their cordless, telling the emergency operator as many details as she could. She knelt down by her husband and sons and felt their wrists. "Just collapsed! Their pulses are thready and weak, they seem to have a fever, and. . . there are darts in their backs," Chi-chi pulled one of the darts out and looked at it carefully. "They've been poisoned!" she gasped into the phone.  
  
Kari strolled down the sidewalk confidently, heading straight for her favorite restaurant. She knew men were looking at her, but she ignored it. There were only two men she was interested in getting. Though at the moment, she was more interested in getting a club sandwich with fries, salad, appetizer cheese sticks, soup, and cake and ice cream for dessert. A puffing/popping sound suddenly caught her attention, and Kari spun around in time to see the dart before it buried its business end into her left breast.  
"What the fuck?!" Kari cursed as she pulled the dart out. "Who did that?!" Kari yelled to the air, and the people around her on the street sent her confused looks. Kari scowled, and then jerked. The world slid out from under her feet as pain leaped up like fire in her chest and shot through her body, making her knees buckle and her eyes water. She struggled toward the nearest payphone, gasping painfully as she went.  
"Hey, are you okay, Ma'am?" a man on the street asked her as she stumbled past him.  
"N-n-no," Kari managed to say, and finally found the phone. She dialed up the emergency number and started talking, but then everything faded to black and she hit the pavement with a thud.  
"Ma'am? Ma'am? Are you still there?" a voice called from the receiver. The man who had spoken to Kari took the phone.  
"She's passed out. She looks really sick," he told the operator. "Her pulse? Hold on, I'll check."  
  
Bulma sat in the hospital room with her husband and son. She had found Vegeta unconscious on their lawn, Trunks with him. A dart was in his hand. Bulma shivered at the thought of someone poisoning her family, despite the discomfort it brought. Vegeta's mental shield had almost completely failed within an hour of his passing out, and she could feel the agony he was in. Moving her own body almost seemed to increase the pain she felt. She turned at the sound of footsteps, and stared in shock as Goku and his two sons were wheeled in to the large room. The doctors and nurses quickly settled them into beds and hooked them up to the life monitoring and support equipment.  
"What? What is this?" Bulma asked quietly.  
"They've been poisoned, too, Mrs. Vegeta. Same kind of dart and everything," the head doctor told her.  
"Oh, no!" Bulma whispered. Once the doctors were gone, Chi-chi came into the room. The two wives saw each other and recoiled in horror.  
"No, not you too!" Chi-chi gasped. She looked over and saw Vegeta and Trunks in two beds, eyes shut.  
"What's happening? Who could be doing this to them?" Bulma shook her head to try and clear it of the emotional mess that was cluttering it.  
"I don't know! But. . .Oh, Kami! Kari!" Chi-chi jerked as a realization hit her.  
"Kari? What about her?" Bulma tilted her head.  
"Think about it! All of the other Saiyans have been taken down by those darts! She's the only one left! We have to warn her!" Chi-chi said urgently, and Bulma nodded.  
"But how?" Bulma started to rise when one more Gurney was wheeled into the room. Kari was laid out on it. The doctors put her in the last bed in the far corner and got her hooked up. "Too late," Bulma whispered.  
"This can't be happening," Chi-chi whispered and fought back tears. She pulled up a chair and sat between Goten and Goku, who was across from Vegeta. Vegeta was in the bed closest to the door on the left, Trunks next to him, and Kari by Trunks. Goku, Goten, and Gohan were all in line on the right.  
"Vegeta and Trunks were hit this morning, out in the mountains," Bulma said. She could only assume it had happened while they were out in the mountains, but they hadn't woken up to actually tell her yet.  
"It probably took whoever did this a while to get down near my house," Chi-chi observed as she reached out and gently stroked Goku's cheek.  
"There was probably more than one, since they must have nailed Kari at almost the same time," Bulma pointed out.  
"I'm here! What's happened? Has he woken up yet?" Videl came running into the room and skidded to a halt at the sight of all of the downed Saiyans. "Wh-what. . .?"  
"We don't know yet. They've all been poisoned, we know that much. But by who and why is still unanswered," Bulma stated as firmly as she could. Videl went over to Gohan, and bent a trembling hand down to touch his face.  
"Hi, Sweetheart. It's me, I followed the ambulance. I had to stop and talk to the people at the front desk, though," she whispered to him, but the only reaction he gave was a sharp intake of breath. "We have to find who did this and make them hand over the cure," Videl said as she turned to the other wives. Chi-chi and Bulma nodded.  
"I'm going to call Yamcha and Krillin. The more eyes we have looking, the better," Bulma said and carefully stood up. "You guys stay here and. . .keep an eye on all of them," she darted a quick glance to her husband and son, and then left the room to find a phone.  
  
"Hello, Kame House, Maron speaking," Maron chirped cheerfully into the phone.  
"Hello, Maron. This is Bulma, could I speak to your father please?" Bulma asked quietly.  
"Oh, hi Aunt Bulma! Sure, just a sec," Maron answered, and turned away from the phone. "DAD! AUNT BULMA IS ON THE PHONE AND SHE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!" Bulma heard the little girl yell. After a few seconds she heard Krillin's voice.  
"Maron, you shouldn't yell across the house like that," Krillin's voice faintly reached Bulma's ear, and she pressed her lips together as she felt tears form in her eyes. Her mind momentarily filled with how long it had taken Trunks to learn that.  
"Sorry, Daddy," Maron's voice replied, and there was a soft sound as the phone changed hands.  
"Hey, Bulma. What's up?" Krillin asked in his usual care-free tone. Bulma drew in a slow breath to steady herself.  
"We have an emergency, Krillin," she said, and her voice caught.  
"What sort of emergency?" Krillin's voice had grown low and serious. Bulma licked her dry lips and tried to steady her rapid heart beat.  
"There are. . .some kind of assassins here. . .the Saiyans, all of them, Vegeta, Trunks, Goku, Gohan, Goten and Kari, have been poisoned. They're in the Satan City Hospital right now . . .they're dying, Krillin. We need help finding the people who did this so they can give us the cure," Bulma felt her heart clench tightly as she forced herself to admit out loud that her family was dying. For a moment, Krillin was silent.  
"I'll be there in ten minutes, Bulma," he said.  
"Thanks, Krillin. See you soon," Bulma gave a small nod, even though she knew he couldn't see it.  
"Bye," Krillin answered, and hung up. Bulma hung up, and dialed the next number.  
  
"Hello?" Yamcha said casually into the phone.  
"Hello, Yamcha? It's Bulma," Bulma's voice greeted him.  
"Hi, Bulma," Yamcha sat up a little straighter. She sounded upset.  
"Yamcha, we need your help," Bulma started in.  
"Is something wrong with the baby?" Yamcha jumped in.  
"No, no, the baby is fine. It's. . .the Saiyans have all been poisoned, and we don't know by who. They're dying. We-we need you to help us look for whoever did this so they can give us the cure," Bulma explained. "We're in the Satan City Hospital."  
"All of them?" Yamcha's voice revealed his surprise. He didn't think there was anyone who could get the drop on all six Saiyans.  
"Yes, all of them," Bulma's voice wavered and filled with tears.  
"I'll be there as soon as I can, Bulma," Yamcha said quickly, not wanting her to cry.  
"Thank you. Bye," she said gently.  
"Bye," Yamcha said and hung up.  
  
Bulma came back into the hospital room and sighed softly. "They're on their way," she told her fellow wives.  
"That's something, at least," Videl heaved a shuddering sigh of her own. All three snapped to attention when they heard a tapping at the window. They all turned and stared at Piccolo, who was floating outside with Tien and Chiao-Tzu. Chi-chi got up and opened the window, and let in the trio.  
"Hey, we were practicing when we felt the Saiyans' kis drop abruptly. What happened?" Tien explained quickly and looked around at the Saiyans in the beds.  
"Gohan. . ." Piccolo's eyes locked onto his once-student, whose face was contorted in pain even in his unconscious state.  
"Someone poisoned them. Vegeta had a dart in his hand when I found him and Trunks," Bulma told them.  
"And Goku, Gohan, and Goten all had darts in their shoulders," Chi- chi added.  
"Who did this?!" Piccolo demanded, close to roaring he was so angry.  
"We don't know! I just called Krillin and Yamcha to try and help find out," Bulma said. At that moment, Krillin, 18, and Yamcha entered the room.  
"We're here! Holy Kami! They look awful!" Krillin looked around at his fallen friends and frowned. Yamcha obviously shared the sentiment, and then he noticed the other members of the Earth Special Forces.  
"Hey, guys. How did you know to come?" Yamcha asked the other Z- fighters.  
"We felt the drop in their ki," Piccolo answered shortly. Yamcha nodded.  
"I did too, but I didn't know what to make of it until Bulma called," he said.  
"And you, 18?" Tien looked to the blonde cyborg.  
"The more people we have looking, the better the odds of finding the people responsible for this," she replied.  
"Excellent point," Tien smiled a bit.  
"I thought so, too," Krillin nodded.  
"Do you have any idea where we can start looking for who did this?" Chiao-Tzu asked the three women sitting by their husbands' sides.  
"No. . ." Chi-chi and Videl shook their heads sadly.  
"Not really, except. . .well, this morning Vegeta and Trunks went to the eastern mountains, because they saw something crash there last night. When they came back, they were like this," Bulma ran her hand over her belly as she spoke.  
"Then we're going to the eastern mountains," Piccolo declared, and the others nodded.  
"We should get some senzu beans, see if those help them first," Krillin suggested.  
"Good idea," Chiao-Tzu said. The others agreed, though Piccolo was anxious to get to the mountains.  
"Ladies, stay here with them. Whoever did this might decide not to take any chances and come here to finish the job," Yamcha instructed Chi-chi, Bulma, and Videl. The three women nodded.  
"Lets go!" Tien said, and they all took off through the window.  
  
The doctors studied the tiny drops of poison that were left in the darts. The tests all indicated the same thing, and it worried them. They ran one final test, and after several minutes, got their answer.  
"Oh, Kami. This could be a real problem," One doctor rubbed his chin as he stared at the read out. "A real problem." He turned from his computer to look at the collection of darts they had accumulated, each labeled by who they had hit. He paused as he suddenly noticed something. One of the darts was bigger than the others.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** The stuff has officially hit the fan, but there's more to come! Next time: Ch.3: "Made Just for Saiyans. . ." - The Assassins Revealed!  
  
Want to tell me what you think? Then e-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! If you're told that address doesn't work, try my brother, Scorpinac@aol.com! 


	6. TBF23

All righty, the Saiyans have all been struck down with poison and are dying. It's up to the others to find the ones responsible, but what will happen when they do?  
  
DBZ=Akria Toriyama. Akira Toriyama=not me. No money made I!  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns  
  
But you're still alive, There's a face in the mirror. Still Alive, The debt don't bleed. Still alive, life is a changer- But you're no stranger, Come take what you need.  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch.3: "Made Just for Saiyans. . ." - The Assassins Revealed  
  
"Senzu beans? Yeah, I've got a couple, but I'm still growing the next batch," Korin said as he looked around at the tense warriors surrounding him. They had flown up to his tower and demanded six senzu beans without so much as a 'hello' first.  
"What's the big rush? I haven't heard or felt any fighting, and you guys look fine," Yajirobe observed, his arms crossed and his face locked in its usual sour expression.  
"We're not the problem! The Saiyans, all of them, have been poisoned!" Yamcha answered quickly.  
"Huh? How? By who?" Korin and Yajirobe asked together, their faces revealing their shock.  
"With darts from a distance. We'll work on who after we get them the beans," Krillin stated, and Korin went to fetch what few he had.  
"You're lucky I have this many left to give you," Korin said as he handed Piccolo a small pouch. Piccolo tucked the piece of leather into his belt. "You guys go through them awfully quickly."  
"Thanks, Korin," Yamcha answered as Piccolo gave a small nod. Yajirobe scowled a bit.  
"I don't think those things work on poison. Poison isn't like an injury, you know. You'd be better off tracking down the ones responsible and getting a cure from them," Yajirobe stated simply, and they looked at him evenly.  
"We're going to do that, but every little bit helps. With any luck, these'll do the trick and make them better," Krillin answered. "We have to go. Thanks again." They turned and flew from the tower, their kis leaving blazing trails across the skies that Korin and Yajirobe watched until they faded.  
"Good luck. I hope those beans help," Korin said quietly.  
"Me too. It'd be a shame to lose Goku again, or either of his sons, or Trunks," Yajirobe observed. Korin sent him a long look, and he sighed. "Or Vegeta or Kari." he added. Korin nodded gravely.  
"The real question is, who did this, and why?" Korin said to no one in particular.  
  
Chi-chi, Bulma, and Videl sat by their husbands in a strained semi- silence, murmuring soft, comforting words to their loved ones. The sick Saiyans' faces were all contorted in pain, their skin was hot to the touch and beaded with sweat, and their breathing was thin and harsh. Chi-chi looked at her husband and sons and sucked in a tear-soaked breath. She could feel his suffering through the Bond, and she could hardly stand it. Bulma's eyes went back and forth between her princely mate and their young son, her left hand on her abdomen all the while. The baby was moving again, like it was upset. Videl stared intently at Gohan, wondering if he knew she was there. Her heart ached to see him open his eyes, but he just lied there, struggling for each breath. Chi-chi blew her nose and lifted her head for a moment, and she found Kari in her line of sight. The Saiyan woman laid in bed alone, no one at her side. Chi-chi felt a twinge of pity for her. ((No one should be alone at a time like this.)) she thought, but she didn't move from Goku's side. She glanced quietly at her watch. ((Has it really been only an hour since this nightmare started?)) she wondered for a moment, and then looked over at Bulma. ((No, it's been longer than that. Kami, why? Why does my family have to be taken away from me again and again?))  
"*Ahem*, Mrs. Vegeta-Briefs, Mrs. Son and. . .Mrs. Son?" An official voice suddenly said. The silence and the pain were so deep that when the doctor spoke his voice startled them to the point where all three jumped up and looked at him. They all let out a breath and sat down when they saw the tall man in the white coat.  
"Yes, Dr. . .," Bulma prompted.  
"Dr. Anthony Botic. I'm here to tell you some. . .distressing news," Dr. Botic looked uncomfortable, and his green eyes betrayed the sadness he felt at having to tell them what he knew. Looking at him, they placed him somewhere in his late thirties, with his relatively young face and thick brown hair.  
"Distressing how?" Chi-chi asked, her voice almost choked. Dr. Botic sighed.  
"Well, as you know, sine this morning we've been analyzing and testing a few drops of fluid that were left in the dart that was found in Mr. Vegeta's hand. The same fluid was found on the other darts that the Son family and Ms. Furauu were struck with. We've also been examining blood samples. Now, not all of the tests are done yet, but what we have isn't good. You already know it's a poison," Dr. Botic said evenly, and they glared at him impatiently. "What we've found is, it's an engineered poison - meant only to affect people with Saiyan blood. It won't do a thing to any other form of life, not even humans, despite how close we are genetically to Saiyans," Dr. Botic finished. The three women's faces filled quietly with horror.  
"C-can you find an antidote?" Videl asked quietly.  
"Maybe. We still don't know all of the details on this stuff. And. . .with how fast this stuff is destroying their internal systems, I'm afraid the odds of our finding a cure in time is nil, at best. The early tests place the life expectancy of the three full-bloods at three days, the halfers at five, at best," Dr. Botic looked away, not wanting to see the pain he must have just inflicted on these poor women. "Other tests may change that," he offered them the only grain of comfort he had to offer. He glanced at them, and wasn't overly surprised by what he saw. Bulma's right hand was squeezed into a white-knuckled fist, her head down, tears glistening down her cheeks. Chi-chi had one hand pressed to her mouth as she wept, two of her tears splashing onto Goku's hand. Videl was breathing in slowly, trying to keep from sobbing out loud. Dr. Botic felt a sharp stab of pity for the three women. "There's one more thing," Dr. Botic's voice was soft. They looked at him with their eyes wide with horror. What more could there be? "The dart found with Mr. Vegeta is about half a size larger than the other four we have. He received a good portion more than the others. Possibly his son, too. With out the dart that hit him, there's no way to know. But their time. . .is much shorter than the others. . ." Bulma felt her heart stop completely. There'd be no stopping the flood this time. "If the people who did this are found, then. . ." he started.  
"We know. We have people looking into that now," Bulma said as clearly as she could as the tears left bright rivers down her face. Dr. Botic nodded.  
"I'll. . .give you all a little time alone," he said gently, and then left. The three wives sat in silence, save for the sounds of their breaths, Bulma's sobbing, and the machines monitoring the dying Saiyans.  
"Who could do this?" Chi-chi finally spoke after several long minutes. "Who could do this to them? Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, they've never hurt anyone except in defense of others and themselves!" Bulma drew in several shaky breaths to steady herself enough to speak.  
"I don't know! I just. . .wait. . .oh no, he couldn't have. . .he wouldn't have. . ." Bulma felt her soul sink to the floor.  
"What?! Who? Bulma, what are. . ." Chi-chi said rapidly, and then realized who she must have been talking about. "That man, Odan?! You think he did this?!"  
"Odan? That guy who lost his planet 'cause of Saiyans?" Videl jumped back into the conversation.  
"That's him, but I don't think he did this - not himself, anyway. He- he told me he was part of a company into 'extermination.' I completely forgot after he left, I. . .I think what they were exterminating were Saiyans. I think Odan went back, told them everything he saw, and they sent someone to do. . .this!" Bulma gave a half-circle wave of her arm to indicate all of the occupants of the room.  
"That. . .that son of a. . .If I ever get my hands on him. . .!!" Videl sputtered in rage. Bulma shook her head slowly.  
"I doubt he'll ever come back after this. He wouldn't be able to face me," Bulma murmured sadly.  
"Hey! We're back with the senzu beans!"Yamcha's voice suddenly came from the window, and they all jumped. He and Krillin climbed through the window and smiled a little at the three women. They carefully went to each Saiyan and slid a bean into their mouths. The Saiyans swallowed roughly, and they all waited tensely for several long minutes. The machines connected to the six bodies continued to hum and beep, their readings unchanged. The pained looks on the six faces didn't leave or even ease, and their breathing became no smoother.  
"Nothing. Yajirobe was right, the beans don't work on poison," Krillin's voice was thin with disappointment.  
"Oh no. . ." Chiao-Tzu whispered.  
"It's worse than you think," Chi-chi sad quietly. "The doctor just told us. . .this poison was designed to kill Saiyans, and only Saiyans. Someone has been planning this for a long time."  
"Then we have to find them! Come on, we need to get to the eastern mountains!" Piccolo barked, and they all took off again. The three wives were left alone with their thoughts and fears once more. Videl stood and closed the window.  
  
The five Z-fighters reached the eastern mountains in record shattering time, and came across the scorched crater just as quickly. They hovered high above it, the leveled and slightly blackened earth like a giant, glowing "X" for some kind of impact.  
"What do you suppose hit here?" Krillin asked as he dropped just a little lower to get a better look. Something glinting between the trees pulled his attention away from the hole. "Wait, over there. That looks like a-"  
"Shhh!" Piccolo abruptly hissed, and Krillin closed his mouth. The foursome watched as three beings, all male in appearance but none of them human, came running into the clearing. They twitched sharply as they realized they could only feel ki from two of them; the other one was a complete blank.  
"Mission accomplished!" boasted the one with deep, blue-purple skin and short, wavy white-green hair. He had large ears that almost looked leaf-shaped.  
"Those Saiyan scum will be dead in less than two days time!" agreed the taller, yellow- skinned male with orange hair. They noted quickly that he was the one with no discernable ki.  
"The universe will finally by free of that murdering filth," the third said. His skin was a strange beige shade, and looked like it was drawn almost too tightly over his body. His hair was black and straight. They were all dressed in a kind of make-shift armor with tight shirts and pants underneath, not unlike what the Saiyans themselves wore. "Now, lets go. We need to tell the others of our victory." The other two aliens nodded, and all three started for the tree line. They didn't make it. Before any of them had a chance to even realize they were under attack, all three were pinned to the dirt, an angry Z-Fighter above each them.  
"W-what the hell. . .?! Who the fuck are you?!" The beige one gagged, dust flying around his mouth.  
"Friends of those 'Saiyan scum'," Tien snarled as he pulled beige-boy to his feet.  
"Friends?! Are you mad?! Don't you value your lives and the lives of those around you?!" the blue-purple one snapped as Krillin twisted his arms behind him.  
"Sure do, their lives especially," Krillin growled as he forced his prisoner back onto his feet.  
"What do you think you're doing? Let us go!" the yellow guy snapped before Piccolo grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air.  
"You're going to give us the antidote," Piccolo said in a low, threatening tone.  
"There is no antidote!" the yellow being in Piccolo's grasp choked out. Piccolo twitched, and then scowled very deeply.  
"Should've known you wouldn't have any made. All right, we'll go to the hospital where you'll tell the doctors the formula for the antidote," Piccolo stated simply, released the man's throat and wrapped his arm around the guy's waist, pinning his arms to his body. They all took off with their catch in tow. The sun sank into the west and stars began to twinkle overhead.  
"Halter, what in Kami's name is going on here?!" the blue-purple male glared at the beige one. "How did the plan get so royally screwed up?!  
"How the fuck am I supposed to know, Bosen?!" Halter snapped in reply. "Last I heard, Saiyans didn't have mind control! But these guys can't be serious about being their _friends_!"  
"Halter, Bosen, and you are. . .?" Yamcha sent a dark look at the yellow guy dangling from Piccolo's arm, pointlessly kicking his legs.  
"Vac-Uum, as if it's any business of yours!" the yellow guy answered.  
  
Bulma had started to doze off when a soft sound from Vegeta made her eyes flutter open. She rubbed her tired blue eyes and glanced at her mate, and jerked to full attention at the sight of his dark eyes open.  
"Bulma. . ." he croaked thinly. He winced, then relaxed again. "Kami. . .I feel like shit. . . is this. . .the hospital?"  
"Vegeta! Oh, Vegeta, you're awake!" Bulma took hold of his hand and squeezed tightly. Chi-chi and Videl watched them intently. "How do you feel?" She already knew the answer, she felt everything he felt, but she didn't know what else to say.  
"I just. . .said. . .like shit," he groaned.  
"You've been poisoned, Veggie. . ." Bulma started in.  
"I figured that out already," Vegeta sighed lightly.  
"With a poison meant only to affect Saiyans," Bulma finished. Vegeta tilted his head the slightest bit toward her.  
"What?" the word was a breath. Vegeta then passed out again.  
"VEGETA!" Bulma's voice was somewhere between horror and pleading.  
"Mom. . .Mommy. . ." Trunks' voice was a little stronger than Vegeta's had been, but still weak and small and piercing to his mother's heart.  
"Trunks! How are you, Sweetie?" Bulma looked at her son. His blue eyes were clouded with pain, but they were open.  
"It hurts. . .what is it?" Trunks answered, breathing slowly as if taking air in too fast would increase his discomfort. Goten and Gohan moaned quietly from their beds and their eyes fluttered open.  
"Oh, Dende. . .what happened? Videl?" Gohan tried to make his eyes focus on his wife's face, but it wouldn't stay for more than a few seconds.  
"I'm right here, Gohan," Videl leaned in a little closer to help him see her.  
"Mom? Dad? Gohan?" Goten's voice rasped. Chi-chi touched his face gently.  
"I'm here, Goten, right here," Chi-chi said in her most soothing voice.  
"Chi-chi. . .are you there?" Chi-chi jumped at Goku's voice and turned back to him. His eyes were half open, but open none the less.  
"Oh, thank Kami! Goku!" Chi-chi leaned over to him, taking his hand in her free hand.  
"What. . .was in those. . .darts?" Goku forced the words out between pained breaths.  
"Poison. . .made just for Saiyans," Chi-chi said loud enough for them all to hear. Goku's face filled with surprise, though it was quickly overwhelmed by a pained grimace.  
"We sent the guys looking for whoever is responsible," Bulma informed them.  
"I think. . .I can feel them. . .coming this way," Gohan rolled his head loosely toward the window. Goku swallowed roughly and tried to feel outward, but the pain he felt dulled his senses and kept his mind scattered too thinly to pick up anything but what was right in front of him.  
"I can't. . .can't. . ." Goku shook his head just a little bit.  
"Oh, Kami, this isn't fair," Chi-chi whispered softly. "How many times do I have to lose you?" Goku forced his vision to clear as he looked at his wife's grief- stricken face. He slowly lifted his left hand to gently stroke her cheek. The movement was agonizing, but he hid most of his discomfort.  
"Chi-chi. . .I promise. . .promise you. . .I'm not. . . gonna leave you. . . again. . .never again. . ." he said, slowly and surely. Chi-chi grasped the hand stroking her cheek and pressed her face against it, kissing it lightly. Goku looked into her beautiful dark eyes that he knew so well and realized the Bond was wide open - she felt the pain he was in. Worse, he couldn't concentrate enough to try and make a new wall between them to spare her. ((Damn. . .this aspect. . .of the. . . Bond. . .)) he thought.  
Bulma stroked Trunks' hair comfortingly as she told him everything that had happened. He blinked a bit at the mention of the senzu beans.  
"Thought I felt. . .something go down my throat. Thought it was. . .a dream, though," he sighed lightly, and his eyes slid to look at his father. "H-has Dad. . .?"  
"He woke up a few minutes ago, and then passed out again," Bulma said. Trunks gave a small nod, and then turned his glance to his other side, to see Kari.  
"And Kari?" he asked. He could dimly hear Goku, Goten, and Gohan speaking, so he knew they were awake.  
"She hasn't come to yet, no," Bulma shook her head. All of the conversations ended with the sounding of tapping on the window. The rest of the Z-fighters floated outside the window with their prisoners. Videl hastily opened the window and they came in.  
"We got the guilty parties," Piccolo grunted as he roughly dragged Vac-Uum toward the door of the room.  
"We thought that going through the front door with these guys might cause some trouble, so we're going to sneak them to the doctor in charge of this case so they can give him or her the formula for the antidote. Who is that, by the way?" Krillin explained briefly.  
"Dr. Botic, I believe," Bulma almost felt like smiling.  
"You were told before! THERE IS NO ANTIDOTE!!! NO FORMULA FOR AN ANTIDOTE WAS EVER MADE!!!" Halter bellowed at the top of his voice, which was surprisingly loud. The sounds of approaching nurses could be heard, and Yamcha quickly went to head them off. Vegeta and Kari jerked awake and stared at the three new aliens.  
"Huh? Wh-what's going. . . on?" Kari said slowly. She turned her head a bit at the sound of the argument, wincing as she did so. "Who. . .are they? Cure?"  
"What? What do you mean no antidote was ever made?!" Piccolo nearly roared as he threw Vac-Uum to the floor. Halter and Bosen were deposited in a similar fashion by Krillin and Tien.  
"Just what it sounded like. It took years to develop a poison that would kill only Saiyans, slowly and painfully as they deserved. Our mission, and that of hundreds of other survivors of those butchers, is to see them all die! Why in Kami's name would we come up with a way to cure them?! Where the hell is the logic in that?! I mean, that's just _stupid_!" Halter snapped in sheer aggravation. Did these guys think they were complete idiots or something?! The Z- fighters and wives looked at each other in silent horror. Somehow, that had never crossed their minds.  
"A Barrian, a Lecana, and a Col? I thought. . ." Vegeta rasped.  
"We were all dead with our planets? Hardly, Beast. Some of us were off world when you creatures came," Bosen growled low in his throat, and his skin became a deeper purple.  
"You're disgusting, all of you. We served the Saiyans and Frieza willingly, and you killed us anyway," Vac-Uum's eyes were full of fire.  
"Doing what?" Chi-chi looked at him in disbelief. Vac-Uum was silent for a few moments before answering.  
"Assassins and spies."  
"That reminds me, why don't you have a ki?" Tien stepped in.  
"A natural trait of my kind - unreadable ki. That's why we had those kinds of jobs. We thought we'd be safe if we did like we were told, but we were wrong," Vac- Uum breathed slowly to control his rage.  
"You know, I'm kind of glad we've been caught. Now we get to watch you die. What a fine tale it will be to tell the others, how much you suffered, how long it took," Halter smiled the coldest, cruelest smile Videl had ever seen. "Of course we gave you and your spawn extra large doses, 'Your Highness.' The most powerful needs to be taken down first, always," he added. There was a silent exchange of glances, but no one corrected Halter's statement.  
"How could you do this?" Chi-chi asked suddenly. The three aliens looked at her curiously.  
"Who are you?" Halter asked in response. Chi-chi narrowed her eyes.  
"I'm Chi-chi Son, the wife of Goku, this Saiyan," she motioned to Goku, "and the mother of Gohan and Goten, those two," she pointed to her sons.  
"I'm Gohan's wife, Videl," Videl added.  
"I'm Bulma, Vegeta's wife, and the mother of Trunks," Bulma said over her shoulder. She was facing Vegeta, and her back was to Vac, Halter, and Bosen for the most part. The three stared at the women in something between shock and terror, and then faded back to anger  
"What do you mean, how could we do this? Get rid of the worse plague this universe has ever known? Bring justice to untold billions of souls? We can do this with the greatest of ease and joy! How can _you_ do this, tell us we're wrong, defend these. . .these. . .kami-damned mother-fucking sons-of-bitches?!" Bosen's voice was so filled with hate that it made them all shudder a little. Halter and Vac simply nodded in agreement with him.  
"But we've never done anything wrong," Gohan wheezed, but they either didn't hear him, or just ignored him.  
"Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, - and Kari - have NEVER hurt ANYONE without good reason! They don't have blood on their hands!" Chi-chi snapped.  
"You're killing innocent people!" Bulma declared.  
"No Saiyan is innocent! They're bloodthirsty killers, all of them! My wife, my children, everyone I ever knew, were killed by Saiyans!" Halter barked. "They sold my planet to someone who wanted more choice real estate! 8 billion lives for a small monetary gain! Bastards! Murdering bastards!!" he spat at Vegeta and scowled.  
"Even their children are killers! They send babies to purge planets! Babies! One was sent to my home! They live for battle! How can you say they're innocent?!" Vac- Uum spoke next.  
"I don't know why they haven't slaughtered everyone on this world yet, but they would have sooner or later. You should be thanking us for saving all of you, not punishing us!" Bosen added. The room then exploded in to an even bigger argument, each defending their own stance, insult after insult flung at the Saiyans, descriptions of the death and destruction others had caused coming up in graphic, horrid detail. The Saiyans didn't have the strength to defend themselves. Chi-chi gritted her teeth tight, until she couldn't take it anymore.  
"STOP IT! JUST STOP!" Chi-chi screamed, and the arguing died. They all looked at Chi-chi, who had tears brimming in her eyes. "What do you think, that by killing all of the Saiyans, your pain will go away? The loss won't hurt so much? You're WRONG!! My husband has been killed twice, and both his killers are also dead. Do you think knowing that made my heart hurt any less? It didn't. Do you think it kept me from hating the ones responsible? It didn't. I still hate them, to this day. I'll hate them until I die. Revenge does nothing for the dead, and very little for the living," Chi-chi spoke in a low, even tone despite the tears that fell down her face.  
"A very pretty speech, but it changes nothing. The Saiyans are still butchers who have to be stopped. This isn't just revenge for our dead, it's to guarantee our children a bright future!" Halter, the apparent leader, answered. "It's best to kill them all now before they wreak more havoc."  
"You can't just kill innocent people for something that had nothing to do with them! Who made you judge, jury, and executioner? Does doing this make you any better than them?!" Bulma demanded as she whipped around to face them. "For Kami's sake, it makes you what you hate! Genocidalists!" Their faces went pale and drawn, and for a moment, Bulma thought it was because of what she'd said, until she realized it was because of what they had just seen. She was six months pregnant now, pregnant enough to show quite a bit, and she had just revealed it to them.  
"You. . .you're carrying another one of those monsters, aren't you?!" Bosen's voice was between furious and terrified.  
"Stay away from me. . ." Bulma backed away quickly, wrapping her arms around her extended abdomen. Everyone in the room went on the alert.  
"D-don't you dare! That baby. . .isn't even. . .born yet!" Vegeta strove to sound threatening as he lifted himself a little from his hospital bed, but it was almost impossible to move, his body hurt so badly, and his voice reflected his pain.  
"And if we can help it, it never will be!" Halter bellowed, and all three lunged at Bulma. Bosen never even saw Chi-chi move before her foot slammed into his face. He was sent flying backwards into the wall, and as he pulled himself up to attack again, Chi- chi landed a flurry of punches to his face and upper chest. She finished with a spinning kick to the ribs, and Bosen fell down and chose to stay down. The others didn't get off so easy; Vac-Uum was slammed aside by a ki ball from Krillin, and crumpled into a painful heap. Halter almost reached Bulma, but Piccolo landed his elbow on Halter's back as Tien's leg smashed into his stomach. Halter felt his innards get pulled in two different directions, and before they could finish settling back into place Piccolo and Tien threw him toward Bosen. He hit the wall and cracked it, then fell over almost on top of Bosen. The infuriated Z-fighters dropped Vac with his comrades and glared at them.  
"Bosen, you okay?" Vac-Uum asked in a small, wheezing voice.  
"I ting by jaw id brogen!" Bosen moaned as blood dripped from his face.  
"Huh. These guys aren't very strong at all!" Chi-chi scowled. "Just sneaky and underhanded!"  
"We prefer to think we're intelligent and clever," Halter muttered. "We'd have to be idiots or suicidal to try and take out the Saiyans any other way."  
"Get them out of here!" Videl snarled.  
"They obviously won't be of any help," Bulma agreed, still breathing shakily from the fright she just got.  
"We'll find someplace to put them," Tien nodded. "If all else fails, we can make a cage or something to hold them." With that, Tien, Piccolo, and Krillin hoisted the three would-be genocidalists up by their collars and took them back out the window. Chiao- Tzu sent a quiet glance back at his long-time friends, then followed his other friends for back up. ((What are we going to do now?)) he wondered.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** Just getting the cure from the assassins was too darn easy! And like I said, why would they have a cure in the first place? The emotions (and the action) are going to keep going up, so fasten your seat belts and hold on tight! Next time: Ch.4: To Keep the Baby Safe - Hiding at Kami's Lookout.  
  
Want to talk to me? I love getting mail about my stuff, so send your comments/questions/suggestions/flames to NansJns@aol.com. If that address doesn't work, send your letters to my brother, Scorpinac@aol.com!  
  
BTW, Anthony Botic is a play on the word antibiotic, in case you didn't realize that. I uphold Toriyama's tradition of punny names. (Yeah, I know - duh!) 


	7. TBF24

The nightmare continues. . .  
  
All characters originally from DBZ belong to Akira Toriyama, and that's not me! All characters original to this story, however, _are_ mine.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns  
  
There will be an answer, The sun will rise. Love is a survivor. Open your eyes.  
"Still Alive" by Lesie Fish  
  
Ch.4: To Keep the Baby Safe - Hiding at Kami's Lookout  
  
Yamcha sighed as the nurses finally managed to push past him and into the room with his friends. He had felt Piccolo, Tien, Krillin, and Chiao-Tzu's Kis leaving, along with the Kis of the two assassins who had Kis. He wondered briefly where the guys were taking them. It didn't matter too much, but he hoped it was someplace far away. He listened to the nurses chatter with Bulma, Chi-chi, and Videl, who were trying to convince them that the emotional strain they were under had led to an uncalled-for argument. Yamcha almost smiled. An argument; that might cover the yelling, but not the male voices' screams or the sounds of combat. Something had been flung into the wall so hard a part of the hallway shook. When the nurses left, looking suspiciously back into the room, Yamcha slipped in and surveyed the area. There was a new crack in the wall, 18 was staring at the floor unhappily, and the Saiyans all seemed to be more- or-less awake, though they were obviously on the edge of passing out again. The three human wives seemed to have fallen in on themselves, their skins pale and bloodless and their shoulders hunched, shaking with the rivers of tears they shed. A soft breath escaped Yamcha's mouth as his stomach flipped.  
"I'm sorry. . .I. . .," Yamcha said quietly. "We were just so certain the ones who made the poison would have a cure. . ."  
"We thought that, too," Chi-chi whispered, and sniffed deeply.  
"What are we going to do?" Videl mumbled miserably.  
"Hey, maybe we can get the Dragon Balls and wish for a cure!" Yamcha offered.  
"You can try. . .but you probably won't find them in time!"Bulma almost wailed. Yamcha pulled back a fraction of an inch as he watched his old girlfriend's face contort with uncontrollable sorrow. ((I'm sorry, Bulma. . .if. . .if I hadn't cheated on you, if we'd stayed together and gotten married, if your children were mine, then you wouldn't be in this pain now.)) he thought quietly. He held no real blame for Vegeta for this mess, except deep down, but he knew that if Bulma didn't love him so she wouldn't be dying inside now. He then looked up and noticed Kari, alone in the corner of the room. He paused for a moment, then walked over to her. He bent over a bit to look her in the eye and smiled comfortingly at her.  
"Hey, Kari - how are you holding up?" he asked lightly.  
"Someone. . .does. . .remember I'm. . .here," she sighed. "I'm no. . .worse than. . .anyone else." A small smile started to curl her lips, but it didn't make it.  
  
Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien tossed their struggling loads to the ground and in the blink of an eye built a cage around them made from ki-cut stone. Chiao-Tzu watched glumly from just behind them.  
"This should hold them until we figure out what to do with them," Krillin stated calmly, though his eyes blazed with hate and pain. His friends were dying, and there was nothing any of them could do. ((Damn them. . .damn them for not making a cure!))  
"Do you think we're far enough away from the hospital?" Tien asked, one eye at all times on the three caged aliens.  
"Over a hundred miles? I should think so. Lets get back and see if anyone's thought of anything," Piccolo answered shortly, and they blasted off. Vac and Bosen leaned against the stone and looked themselves over. Bosen's jaw still ached, and he had discovered some loose teeth on the way over, and his side throbbed where Chi-chi kicked it. Vac had some bad burns and cracked bones. Halter did some painful-looking stretches that were accompanied by even more painful-sounding pops and snaps. He straightened himself as much as the low cage would allow and looked back the way they had come.  
"So, what are they doing now?" Vac asked casually.  
"The four Traitors-To-All-Life are still heading back to the medical building," Halter answered, and tilted his head a bit to make the image clearer. "The human wives of the Saiyans are crying, and the Saiyans' life signs are dropping," a smiled crept across his face, "They'll be dead soon."  
"Kami, I'd kill for your seeing power," Vac smirked lightly. "And your healing ability."  
"'E doo," Bosen spoke as best he could and spat some blood off to the side. "Ad leasd dose Saiyans will sdill die. . .dat makes id all word id." Bosen scowled at how idiotic he sounded. Halter glanced at him, then moved to him and touched his face. A soft warmness passed from his hands to Bosen's injured jaw. Bosen sighed as he felt the calmness that came when Halter's power pass through him, and the pain in his face faded. "Thank you, Halter," he said once the healing was done. "Your powers are remarkable." Halter's eyes darkened a bit.  
"Remarkable. . .not remarkable enough; they couldn't save my wife or children. . .my parents or friends. . ." Halter sighed and looked back to the hospital. "I actually feel a little bad for those women. They must not have known what Saiyans were really like when they married those three. . .they're crying so hard," Halter leaned against the cool stone and focused his eyes on the distant building. Vac and Bosen were quiet for a few moments.  
"No harder than we cried. . .when the Saiyans destroyed our homes," Bosen finally said, and Halter nodded.  
"No, not nearly so hard as that," Halter agreed.  
"I'll be glad when The Nightmare is over," Vac observed. "No more loss, no more tears."  
"It's almost here. There's just that one little problem," Bosen answered, and they both looked to Halter.  
"Yes. We can't allow the birth of another monster. The Nightmare ends here and now. We just need to give that woman a quick injection, and the babe will die in her womb," Halter's voice and eyes hardened with his conviction.  
  
"Hey, guys, I don't like the idea of leaving those guys without a guard. Chiao-Tzu and I are going back, okay?" Tien said to Krillin and Piccolo.  
"You're right. Go for it," Krillin said, and Piccolo gave a short nod.  
"One of us will keep you updated," Piccolo said gruffly. Tien and Chiao-Tzu then turned and went back the way they'd come.  
  
Krillin and Piccolo arrived back at the hospital to find only one new idea.  
"Hey, kid - how you holding up?" Piccolo asked Gohan, who breathed raggedly.  
"Considering I'm dying. . .not bad," Gohan tried to laugh, but it fell into a pained grimace.  
"What did you do with those three?" Videl asked.  
"We put those three aliens into a cage a hundred miles from here," Krillin told them.  
"Tien and Chiao-Tzu are guarding them?" 18 inquired.  
"Yeah," Krillin said.  
"Just for safety's sake, maybe Bulma should go somewhere else," Yamcha piped up.  
"Not a bad idea," Krillin nodded in agreement. "But where?"  
"K-Kami's. . .Lookout," Goku rasped from his bed.  
"Yes! Good idea. . .Kakarott. . .those bastards. . .won't be able. . .to. . .to find her. . . there!" Vegeta gasped sharply between jolts of pain. The others agreed readily; Kami's Lookout was incredibly difficult to find, and almost impossible to get to if you couldn't fly. "P-Piccolo, take her there," Vegeta rasped to the Namek, who reacted with wide-eyed surprise.  
"Me?" he said, sending a slightly uneasy glance to the pregnant Bulma.  
"Him?" Bulma didn't look overly thrilled with the idea either.  
"Don't argue!" Vegeta snapped, then let out a strangled cry of pain and nearly lost consciousness.  
"All right, Vegeta. I'll get her there safely," Piccolo said.  
"No. I can't leave," Bulma shook her head. "I-I can't leave you and Trunks, Vegeta. I'm going to stay here."  
"Woman. . ." Vegeta growled weakly. "You can't. . .do anything. . .for us! P-p. . . protect our baby!" he gasped. His pride couldn't stand in the pain and emotional strain he now suffered under. He no longer cared what he said or who else heard. Bulma gazed into his pained face, feeling his agony and fear for her and their baby through the Bond, and squeezed her eyes shut.  
"All right. . .I'll go," her voice was thin and broken. Vegeta took her hand and pulled her down for kiss, but there was no strength in his grip or arms; she went down more of her own doing than his. As she kissed him, her tears spilled onto his cheeks. The feeling of his life, his strength, always before an endless blazing inferno, had shrunk to nothing more than a small candle flame caught in a strong wind. ((Oh, Kami, I can feel him dying. . .! Oh, please. . . Vegeta, live! Please don't leave us. . .)) she broke the kiss and stood up slowly.  
"You worry. . .too much. . .No member. . .of the royal house. . .of Vegetasei. . .has died from poisoning yet. . .we're not gonna. . .start now," Vegeta said with all the strength he had. Bulma smiled a tiny bit, and went over to Trunks and gave him a kiss on his sweaty forehead.  
"We'll be okay, Mom," Trunks said quietly, and Bulma forced a smile for him.  
"Of course!" she said, and then walked up to Piccolo. He gently scooped her up and went to the window. They both sent one last backward glance to their friends and family, and then were gone in a blaze. Vegeta watched them go, and then his eyes shut and the darkness had him. Chi-chi, Videl, 18, Krillin, and Yamcha all looked to his heart monitor in a moment of panic. The beeping was slow, and the spaces between beeps was growing by seconds.  
  
Bulma pressed her hands over her face as she felt Vegeta's soul slip farther away. ((This isn't happening, this isn't happening!)) she begged mentally. Was this the price she had to pay for giving her heart to a Saiyan? Having it ripped from her chest? Piccolo looked at the grief- stricken woman in his arms uncomfortably. He poured on more speed, intent on reaching Kami's Lookout as soon as possible.  
  
"Well, well. . ." Halter whispered softly.  
"What?" Vac whispered in return.  
"What do you see?" Bosen asked at the same time in the same low tone.  
"The Namek Traitor-To-All-Life," Halter answered quietly. "With the pregnant wife of the Saiyan Prince. He's taking her somewhere."  
"Keep watching them," Bosen murmured.  
"What are you guys talking about?" Chiao-Tzu demanded abruptly, and Vac and Bosen looked daggers at him.  
"None of your business, boy," Bosen snapped.  
"There's no need to be rude!" Chiao-Tzu answered crossly.  
"Oh, and putting us in a cage isn't rude?" Vac frowned at him deeply.  
"Oh, please! You attacked our friends, attempted to attack a pregnant woman - you have no leeway right now, buddy! You should count yourselves lucky we're as merciful as we are!" Tien snarled at the captives, who simply scowled in return.  
"Merciful - interesting choice of words. Saiyans don't know that word; did you know that? It's nowhere in their vocabulary," Bosen said coldly.  
"Maybe other Saiyans didn't, but our friends, the good people you're trying to kill, do. Even Vegeta has learned mercy!" Tien said calmly. Bosen and Vac snorted in response.  
"Yeah, right. Sure he has. And I can sprout wings by clapping my hands three times and fins by clicking my heels twice," Vac chortled.  
"Hey, what's he looking at?" Chiao-Tzu suddenly stepped back into the conversation, noticing Halter's unwavering gaze into the distance. His head was tilted back, and his chin was rising bit by bit.  
"Scenery," Halter sounded as distracted as he looked. "Interesting. . .flowers around here. And birds." He squinted a bit, and blinked. ((A cat on a walking stick?)) he wondered briefly. Then he winced. ((Ugh. . .some of these humans are really ugly.)) he craned his neck back even further and carefully focused. ((Another Namek, huh?)) Halter's brows forked and a frown creased his face. Without taking his eyes from the floating palace, he reached out and carefully tested the bars of the cage.  
  
Dende and Mr. Popo looked at their new charge with a few pearls of sweat on their faces. "Uh, are you sure this is the best place for her?" Dende asked hesitantly.  
"Why not? They won't find her here, and they couldn't get up here even if they knew she was here," Piccolo answered.  
"Why are all of you so nervous?" Bulma finally asked, confused and a trifle annoyed by their wide-eyed looks.  
"O-oh, it's nothing, really! I just - I've just. . .never been this close to a pregnant woman before," Dende admitted sheepishly, a little blush of purple on his cheeks, and Mr. Popo nodded ascent.  
"Same goes for me," Piccolo diverted his eyes.  
"Oh, is that all?" Bulma sighed. "It's no big deal, guys. It's not like I'm going to go into labor while I'm here. I'm not due for almost three more months."  
"Well, that's good," Dende smiled a bit.  
"I'm going back to the hospital and then hunting for Dragon Balls. I'll check back with you guys later," Piccolo stated, and flew off. Dende and Mr. Popo looked at Bulma, then glanced at each other, and went back to Bulma.  
"Would you like to sit down, Mrs. Vegeta? We have some very comfortable chairs here, and I can bring an extra pillow for your back if you need it," Mr. Popo offered brightly. Bulma thought about it for a moment.  
"Yeah, that sounds good. And how about something to eat?" Bulma gave them a weary smile. She hadn't had anything to eat in hours, and she knew that was bad for the baby. It was already very late, and she hadn't had supper and had barely eaten anything for lunch. Despite all of the stress she was under, she now found she was starving.  
"Of course! Anything you like!" Mr. Popo nodded. "Just tell me, and I'll make it for you as quick as I can!" Bulma sighed and rubbed her neck as she tried to think of what sounded appetizing.  
"Roast chicken and garlic mashed potatoes, maybe with cheesecake for dessert. . .and a glass of iced tea," she said. "If that's not too much trouble."  
"Not at all! I've cooked for Saiyans; a small order like that is nothing!" Mr. Popo grinned cheerfully, and then realized what he'd said and pulled back his smile. "And I'm sure I'll cook for them again." he said quietly. Bulma looked away and gave a grim nod.  
"They'll pull through this. . .somehow," she sighed softly. Dende gently led her to a place to sit while Mr. Popo dashed off to make her food.  
"I'm sorry the Senzu beans didn't help. . .I'd go and try my powers, but they wouldn't work either," Dende said, his eyes glittering with sorrow.  
"How do you know?" Bulma asked quickly. If there was a chance he was wrong, then there was a chance to save her family and friends.  
"Back on New Namek, before I left, one of the villagers was bitten by a poisonous creature. I tried my power on the bite, but it only soothed the pain - the venom was still there causing damage as quick as I could heal it," he answered as Bulma sat in the cushioned chair he'd brought her to. It sat beside a heavy oak table, obviously where her meal was going to be brought.  
"Oh. Damn," Bulma muttered. Then she winced and her hands pressed her belly.  
"What?!" Dende jumped a mile into the air. "What is it?! What's wrong?!"  
"Nothing. . .Saiyan babies can just really kick when they put their minds to it," Bulma waved off his concern and almost laughed at his over-reaction. She didn't feel like laughing, though.  
"What a relief. . .you scared me there for a minute," Dende sighed.  
"Sorry, didn't mean to," Bulma answered quietly, resting her head in her hand. Dende fidgeted uncomfortably for a few moments.  
"I'm. . .gonna go get that iced tea you asked for," he finally said. "Be right back." He then took off quickly. Bulma hardly noticed the young Namek's departure. She reached, tentatively, through the Bond to Vegeta's soul. ((Vegeta. . .)) she called quietly. ((Vegeta. . .)) No answer came. The pain was blazing even higher than before, and she knew then that Vegeta was beyond her reach for now. A soft sob escaped her mouth and tears slid down her cheeks again.  
  
The night dragged on until the sun finally rose the next day. Piccolo, Yamcha, Krillin, and 18 had left hours prior to hunt for the last remaining hope - the Dragon Balls. Chi-chi murmured pointless words of comfort to her husband and sons, soothing Goku's and Goten's sweaty brows as Videl did the same for Gohan. Goku focused on Chi-chi's face as much as he could, but the darkness was pulling him down. He was afraid to go to sleep, afraid that he might not awake again; but he ached for a way to escape the pain, and finally his mind and body surrendered and his eyes fell closed.  
"Sorry. . . . .Chi-chi. . ." he whispered before he passed out completely.  
"GOKU!" Chi-chi shrieked, her hands flying to his chest and face. The machines beeped slowly and quietly, and his chest rose and fell with each burning breath. "Please. . .please, not again!" Chi-chi whispered, lying her head on his chest for a moment. After a few seconds she lifted her head again and leaned in close to his face. "Goku, I know I can be. . .bitchy, and mean, and unreasonable, and. . .and a dozen other bad things, but please. . .don't die again and leave me," she whispered as she stroked his face, and then began sobbing again. Kari abruptly coughed harshly, moaned, and lapsed back into unconsciousness as well.  
  
Vegeta stood at the edge of a line of shadows beside a wide, open meadow filled with near-blinding sunlight. Bulma and Trunks were out in the meadow, having a picnic. His breath caught when he saw the small bundle Bulma carefully held, and as he watched it, a tiny hand reached up and grasped one of Bulma's long fingers. ((The new baby! How long have I been away?)) Vegeta wondered. Bulma suddenly looked up and saw him, and she and Trunks called to him and waved him over. He went to step forward, only to hit a solid barricade and stumble back. He stared at the apparently empty air for a moment, and then reached out and touched the invisible wall. Bulma looked at him in confusion, and he started striking the wall repeatedly. It gave no sign of weakening, no matter how vicious his onslaught became.  
"Feh. Fool," a voice said, and Vegeta pivoted around.  
"Who's there?!" he yelled.  
"You can't go there," The voice answered, ignoring his question. Vegeta scowled.  
"Why the hell not?!" Vegeta demanded.  
"You are a creature of the Dark. You were born of the Dark, and you will die in the Dark," the voice said. "This is as close as you get."  
"Talk sense!" Vegeta snarled and began to raise his ki.  
"You are Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, ruler of butchers, and a cold- blooded killer. Such a person has no place in the Light," the voice stated calmly. A smirk slowly pulled Vegeta's lips up.  
"That's where you're wrong, friend. That was a long time ago - I actually qualify as a good soul now. This is a trick, and a poor one at that. Now, LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Vegeta bellowed.  
"How could you marry this mass-murdering bastard? Do you have any clue as to the atrocities he's guilty of? He reeks of innocent blood!" Odan's voice suddenly rang through the dark woods.  
"They sold my planet to someone who wanted more choice real estate! 8 billion lives for a small monetary gain! Bastards! Murdering bastards!!" the voice of the Col who had been at the hospital screamed next.  
"Shut up!!" Vegeta roared and went up to Super Saiyan. He turned from the dark woods and slammed against the barrier again. Voices began screaming around him, calling out to his past. Suddenly, the barrier shattered and Vegeta dashed out into the warm sun. Bulma and Trunks came running up to him looking concerned, but he only smiled and pulled them to him. The darkness tried to reach for him, but the sun burned it and it recoiled, unable to even get close to him. Vegeta sighed softly, and pulled back a step. Bulma smiled at him with the special, loving smile she only gave him. Then the colors began to blur and the pain seeped in again. ((Oh, Kami, make it stop, I want to stay here, I want to stay, oh, it hurts, it hurts, Kami help me)) Vegeta's mind cried in a way it never had before as he felt like he was falling into a deep, dark pit.  
  
Kari stood alone in a long hallway. Windows lined the hallway, framing the stars outside. She started walking down it, and listened to whispers coming up and down the hall. She swallowed dryly as the whispers grew louder.  
"There are no others. You're alone," one voice said.  
"Monsters! You came to our world and destroyed everything!" a second voice hissed. Kari began to run.  
"What do you mean, how could we do this? Get rid of the worst plague this universe has ever known? Bring justice to untold billions of souls? We can do this with the greatest of ease and joy! How can _you_ do this, tell us we're wrong, defend these. . .these. . .kami-damned mother-fucking sons-of-bitches?!" the voice of one of the assassins came next.  
"I never did anything except look for others like me! THERE'S NO BLOOD ON MY HANDS, YOU BASTARDS!!" Kari screamed in reply. "Where is everyone?!?!"  
"There are no others. You're alone," a soft voice answered. Kari gritted her teeth as she recognized the voice as belonging to one of the scientists who worked at the lab where she'd been held. They had all lied and told her she was the only Saiyan left; except she heard them discussing others off and on several times over the years.  
"No, I'm not!" she shrieked, shaking her head and making her long, black hair fly. "I found them! I found them!" Her legs gave out, and as she fell she felt pain stab through her. The floor disappeared, and Kari plummeted into the endless dark that took its place.  
  
Goku could see Chi-chi far off in the distance, but no matter how hard he ran, he couldn't seem to get to her. He could hear her crying, and knew she was in trouble.  
"Chi-chi! Chi-chi, what's wrong?" he called out to her in the hopes that she would hear him and stop moving away. She turned to him and reached out a hand for him. Her face was wet with tears.  
"Why?" she said. "Why do you always leave me? Do you hate me so much?"  
"What?!!" Goku skidded to a halt. "What did you say?! How could you ever think that?! I. . .!" Goku pleaded.  
"Even their children are killers! They send babies to purge planets! Babies! One was sent to my home! They live for battle! How can you say they're innocent?!" the voice of one the assassins suddenly cut through his thoughts. Goku gasped for air.  
"We sent you here to clear this planet. But it seems you forgot your mission!" Raditz's voice barked. Goku's head was spinning. The truth was so ugly and painful; he loathed to think about it. He was sent to Earth as a baby, to kill everyone. If he had succeeded. . .he never would have known Chi-chi, never would have had his wonderful sons, never would have met his friends. It made him sick just thinking about it. Goku growled in determination and flew to Chi-chi, wrapping his arms around her tightly. ((That's not who I am, not what I am. . .)) he thought to himself.  
"Chi-chi, I love you! I never meant to hurt you, I swear!" he said.  
"I love you, too, Goku. . .but. . .you have to train, so you leave. . .you die, and you leave. . .and now you're leaving me again. . ." she whispered.  
"No! I'm not leaving you again, remember? I promised you I wouldn't!" Goku shook his head quickly. He bent down to kiss her, to feel her lips and warmth and reassure her. Before he connected, she seemed to fade away, and the light vanished as pain bit him. He tried to tighten his grip on her to keep her from disappearing, but she slipped through his embrace like mist. ((No, no, no, no. . .Chi-chi! Chi-chi!)) For a moment, he heard his sons calling to him, but it too vanished into the darkness. ((My family!))  
  
Goku managed to open his eyes, though he couldn't remember closing them, and looked around at the nothing surrounding him. All he could see was Vegeta a few feet away on his right and Kari a few feet to the left. Strange, he'd died twice before, and it had never been like this. Vegeta felt the same way, and it showed. Kari just looked worried and confused.  
"Where are we?" Kari asked, and her voice seemed to echo. She knew, somehow, that she wasn't dreaming anymore, and she was talking to the real Vegeta and Goku. They knew it, too.  
"I don't know," Goku admitted.  
"I think I do. . .if I'm right, we're probably past saving," Vegeta gritted his teeth. Goku and Kari gave him their full attention. "This is what's known as the Rupanoshi - The Last Battlefield. When two or more Saiyans are close to death together, who have fought but never conquered each other, their minds link to give them one last chance to fight. Typically, the first to fall is the first to die."  
"My Kami. . ." Kari whispered.  
"I'm not fighting you guys here!" Goku said quickly. They looked to him quietly. "We have to conserve our energy if we're going to live long enough to get a cure. I promised Chi-chi I wouldn't leave her again, and I meant it!" Vegeta smirked and tilted his chin up.  
"For once, I agree with you, Kakkarot. I don't intend to die before seeing my second son," he said calmly.  
"I'm with you guys. Lets pool our powers and fight death instead," Kari nodded, and put a fist forward. Vegeta and Goku mimicked the gesture, and a small ball of light formed between their fists. The three lives linked into a life support system.  
  
Chi-chi and Videl watched in amazement as the life-sign monitors started to pick up a little, and as Goku's, Vegeta's, and Kari's kis rose just a little. They whispered several prayers in hope and thanks to Dende.  
  
The special team of doctors studied the poison in hopes of finding a cure. So far, they had only found a few identifiable chemicals. ((If we can just find the key chemical, then we can make a cure.)) Dr. Botic thought to himself. ((I'd still like to know who did this and why.)) he sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. There were too many mysteries involved here for his taste.  
  
Tien had dozed off after staying awake most of the night, and Chiao- Tzu was gathering up wood for a fire to make a little breakfast. Vac leaned against the far side of their cage, watching their two so-called guards. He reached behind himself slowly and casually, and flattened his right palm against the bars of the cage. A soft glow appeared from his hand and cut through the stone. He rose slowly, his hand still behind him, and about half way up he moved to the right about a foot and a half and knelt down again. He smiled to himself as the three- eyed human and the little doll-creature didn't notice. He loved being able to make such high heat; it wasn't ki, but it did damage. ((Now, if only I could make it into a projectile weapon.)) he thought as they quietly laid the new door onto the forest floor. They ran out at top speed, disappearing before Chiao-Tzu even had time enough to look up.  
"Oh no!! Where did they go?!" he cried so loudly Tien woke up.  
"What? Huh? WHAT?! How'd they. . .?!" Tien stared at the hole in the back of the stone cage. "Oh, shit! We have to get to the hospital and warn them!" he snapped, and they took to the air. As Halter, Bosen, and Vac watched the ki streaks fly off, they took off as well; they needed some supplies from their ship before they went to the strange floating palace the Namek-Traitor-To-All-Life had taken the pregnant wife of the Saiyan Prince.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
So how do you stop someone who has nothing left to lose? Be here next time for chapter 5: A Cure? Battle at the Lookout.  
  
I know this is pretty heavy emotionally, but by golly, how else would they react in a situation like this? Want to tell me what you think? E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! If my address doesn't work, send your comments to my brother Scorpinac@aol.com. He'll pass them on to me after a Final Flash through his bedroom. 


	8. TBF25

Time is running out, and the assassins are on the loose and looking for Bulma. Remember, "Nothing is more dangerous than someone who has nothing left to lose," and "A man who doesn't fear death can do anything."  
  
DBZ belongs to me! NOT!!! It belongs to Akira Toriyama, FUNimation, and others in Japan and America, NONE of whom is ME. *sniff* but i want it. . .  
  
New characters are mine.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns  
  
Running from the future, (Running from the future) Running from the past (Running from the past)  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch.5: A Cure? Battle at the Lookout  
  
Bulma sat in the hot water, encircled by steam. Her eyes drooped with fatigue, and she held her head in one hand, the elbow of which pressed into the edge of the large tub. She hadn't known Kami's place had such an impressive bathroom, large and spacious, with a big tub, white tile, and gold fixtures. One hand trailed through the water listlessly. She didn't normally bathe in the morning, but she woke up feeling coated in grime and wanted to wash off. She had finished scrubbing a few minutes ago, and just wanted to sit for a bit. Her unborn baby moved, then kicked, and she sighed and lifted her free hand to touch her belly. She knew Vegeta had gotten worse; his soul felt so far away now, and the candle flame of his power had shrunk to a small, but still bright, point.  
"I promise you, baby," Bulma whispered to her extended abdomen. "You will know your father and brother, and they'll know you. They'll survive this, and we'll all be togther. I promise. I swear it." The baby kicked again, as if to agree.  
"Bulma?" Mr. Popo's voice called through the door.  
"Yes?" Bulma answered.  
"I have some clean clothes for you; they'll be on the bed waiting for you when you're ready," he said.  
"All right," Bulma replied, and then sighed deeply again. She had never been so miserable in her whole life. After a few more minutes in the soothing water, she carefully stood up and got a towel. She quietly cursed the assassins again while she dried off and hoped the hunt for the Dragonballs was going well.  
  
Discovering that the rest of the Z-Fighters were around the world gathering Dragonballs didn't make Tien's life any easier. He sagged a bit and cast all three of his eyes downward. Chiao-Tzu stood beside him, his little face full of concern.  
"Tien, why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be guarding those three assassins?" Videl asked, her voice hard and edgy. Tien didn't look up, and seemed to sag a little more.  
"They escaped a little while ago. I'm sorry, I fell asleep, and Chiao-Tzu looked away for a few moments to make breakfast, and they somehow cut a hole through their prison," Tien admitted.  
"Oh, shit," Chi-chi cursed quietly. "Well, these guys don't actually have much power, anyway. . .you guys can stay here and help us guard everyone," she said as strongly as she could.  
"Where's Bulma? We need to protect her, too! She's the one they'll really be after, 'cause they're after the baby!" Chiao-Tzu piped up.  
"She's safe; she's at Kami's Lookout," Chi-chi answered. Tien looked up.  
"That's good. They won't find her there," he said, relieved. Chiao- Tzu furrowed his little brow as he thought about the way Halter had been staring skyward the previous day, obviously distracted. ((No, it's not possible. He can't have seen something that far away, it's not physically possible.)) he thought to himself a moment later.  
  
18 wriggled down the tight stone cave and cursed the men above her again and again. She was getting scrapes on her scrapes trying to fit down this hole, but there was a Dragonball down there somewhere. They would have opened the cave up some, but were afraid of burying the ball and thus lengthening their search. Every minute counted.  
"Are you SURE it's down here?!" she yelled back up.  
"That's what the radar says. We're really sorry, 18!" Yamcha yelled back. "But you're the only one with shoulders narrow enough to fit down there!"  
"I would have gone, but you said you'd do it," Krillin reminded her.  
"Fine, fine, I know that! But why didn't anyone think to have Piccolo just stretch his arm down here to find it?" 18 answered as she got herself down a few more inches.  
"Do you know how much energy that costs me, not to mention how much it hurts?" Piccolo said coldly.  
"HURTS?! You wanna talk about _hurting_?!" 18 snapped back as she kept crawling down. Her mind was swirling. She hadn't known the Saiyans, any of them, all that well for very long. Krillin talked about Goku and Gohan enough that she felt like she knew them, Goten and Trunks were only children and she saw them as possible playmates for Marron but little more, and she had gotten to know Vegeta only on a surface level. Kari, well, she knew as much about Kari as any of them did. Kari was still something of an outsider, really, and 18 suddenly wondered if the Saiyan woman was lonely. The thought was pushed aside quickly. Shortly after marrying Krillin and learning, really learning, about the man she had once been programmed to kill, she had come to hate Dr. Gero even more, and curse her programming. She had been ordered to kill a good man, a family man, because that stupid old coot was angry at him. She held no desire to see Goku or his sons die, least of all in as painful and pathetic a way as this. But it was Krillin's fear and concern, more than anything, that made her help them hunt for the Dragonballs. She didn't want to see her husband have to grieve for the loss of so many friends, she knew it would hurt him greatly; and she didn't want to grieve for them either. Her heart wasn't built to take it. She wondered, briefly, if that was selfish. The light of the flashlight she held bounced off the rocks dully, until it hit something that flashed and almost blinded her.  
"Ah hah!" she hissed and crawled up to the shiny, orange object. She took a good grip on the ball and jerked it out. "Got it!" she called up, and began crawling back out. Thanks to the tightness of the hole, she couldn't turn around, so she had to back up. Once her feet were visible, the guys reached out and helped her get out. She gave them her find and they added it to the collection. With the radar and their super speed, they had managed to get four balls already, but the other three still eluded them, and time was quickly running out. They wondered if the doctors were having any luck.  
  
The four doctors that were working feverishly on the poison that had struck down the Saiyans had come up with various results. It wasn't all that complex a poison, they had realized; it was designed to burn out the internal organs by causing immense increases in the surrounding temperature, thus the pain and heat the Saiyans felt. They felt sure a cure was within their grasp, but they didn't know if they could make it in time. Mr. Vegeta had, at most, twelve hours left. His son had about twenty-four thanks to his human blood. Mr. Son and Ms. Furauu had another forty-eight hours by the most recent tests, and Mr. Son's two sons had another ninety-six hours at best. So little time! So very little time! None of them would say so, but they held little hope for saving the full bloods, and nearly none at all for Vegeta and his son. They whispered prayers to Kami that their skill could still win the day, but they all knew that Kami didn't answer all prayers with a "yes".  
  
The radar beeped away, pointing to the next Dragonball, and the only sound to muffle it was the wind. None of the Z-Fighters felt like talking, and they all were left to their own thoughts. Somehow, none of them ever thought that the past could strike back like this. They all knew what the Saiyans had done, what Vegeta had done, but that was a long time ago and they were willing to let the past die and be buried. It had never occurred to them, for some reason, that not everyone would feel the same way. It came to them, belatedly, that they were able to let go of that past because they knew the surviving Saiyans, knew how they acted and felt, and knew they (with the exception of Vegeta) had never participated in the planetary piracy their race had done. But even Vegeta was making up for his past, and qualified as a good soul; the battle with Buu had proven that. He had changed greatly over time. They could understand that some might not believe that, but they couldn't fathom someone believing that Goku and his sons could do anything evil; and the memory of the assassins attacking Bulma to kill her and Vegeta's unborn child made their blood boil and their stomachs turn. How could anyone be so cold and cruel? They were acting as bad as the Saiyans they feared. ((At least they're locked up, safely away from Bulma.)) Krillin thought, and though he didn't know it, the others shared the thought. The radar began beeping louder and faster, declaring for all to hear that they were on top of another Dragonball.  
  
Halter, Bosen, and Vac ran through the forest, their breathing coming heavily after running for almost three hours. None of them had enough ki to fly, and besides, flying would have guaranteed their re-capture. They considered it more and more fortunate that all three of their races could maintain high ground speed for long periods of time. Once they got to their ship, they would have a faster way of getting to the floating palace the pregnant wife of the Saiyan Prince had been taken to. None of them wasted air or energy trying to speak, they just ran on, back to their ship, led by their tracking device. They stopped briefly to eat and drink, and then continued on. They reached their ship late in the afternoon, and collected what they needed. Once they had the needed supplies in a bag, they slid three hover-bikes, silver, red, and green, out from the storage bay and pulled the keys from their pockets.  
"Okay, are we ready?" Halter asked as they activated their hover- bikes. The three machines hummed to life as they lifted up a foot over the ground, and their buttons began to dimly glow. Halter, Vac, and Bosen mounted the sleek metal rides and gunned their engines.  
"We have everything we'll need, we just need you to guide us now," Bosen answered from atop the silver bike.  
"I can hardly believe it's almost over," Vac-Uum observed as he punched a few buttons on his red bike.  
"But it is. Once we. . .handle the unborn child. . .the plague known as Saiyans will be wiped out forever," Halter said firmly, and his compatriots nodded. "For the Survival of All Life!" he yelled, and Bosen and Vac echoed the sentiment as they blasted into the air.  
"For the Survival of All Life!"  
  
Korin paced around his little building nervously. He hadn't heard anything from anyone since the previous day. He wondered how the Saiyans were doing, if the assassins had been found, if the senzu beans had done any good. "All of this worrying is going to turn my fur white," he muttered. He paused as he looked at his naturally snowy coat. "Or gray." Yajirobe was his usual helpful self, though he was actually quite worried too. They were snapped from their thoughts by the roar of engines. They ran to the edge of their sky-high home in time to see three hover bikes blaze past them to the lookout.  
"What was that?!" Korin cried out in shock.  
"Bad news, that's for sure!" Yajirobe answered. After several moments of hesitation, he cursed beneath his breath and went up to the Lookout himself. There were many things he wouldn't do, and one of them was leave a pregnant woman against unknown foes.  
  
Mr. Popo was watering his flowers when he heard the approaching engines. He paused for only a second before running to warn Dende and Bulma. Except for Yajirobe, Bulma, and Chi-chi, none of their friends needed machines to get up to the Lookout anymore.  
"Dende! Someone is coming!" he called as he ran into the building.  
"Not a friend, I take it?" Dende answered, small pearls of sweat rolling down his green forehead. Bulma stood far back from them.  
"I doubt it!" Mr. Popo shook his head. "Bulma, I suggest you find a room and lock yourself inside until we know," he turned to the blue-haired woman. She nodded, and moved down the hall as fast as her pregnant body could go. A sharp horn-blast blared from outside, and Dende and Mr. Popo moved over to the doorway. Dende stood as tall as he could make himself and made his eyes stern and serious.  
"Who are you and what do you want here?" the young Namek demanded as he stared at the three aliens on hover bikes that were now parked on his lookout.  
"Who we are is of no consequence to you, Namek. We want the wife of the Saiyan Prince," Bosen said evenly.  
"She's not here," Mr. Popo answered calmly.  
"Like Hell she's not. I saw the older Namek bring her here yesterday," Halter said. They stared at him for a moment, and Yajirobe suddenly arrived and stood to the side.  
"Give her to us and we'll leave here peacefully. You people have nothing to do with this, and you can keep it that way," Vac-Uum said reasonably.  
"We have no interest at all in you. We just want the woman," Halter added.  
"How could you have seen Piccolo bring her here? This tower isn't visible from the ground unless you're directly underneath it on a cloudless day," Dende asked suspiciously.  
"My kind have telescopic vision - we can see things hundreds of miles away quite clearly when we want to," Halter replied coolly. "Now, hand over the Saiyan Prince's wife!" his voice became strained with the effort to control his anger at the woman.  
"You have got to be kidding," Yajirobe answered. "Come on, we all know you guys are basically wimps, or you wouldn't have snuck around and used something as cowardly as poison to kill the Saiyans." They glared at him in a way that froze his blood, and Vac-Uum dismounted his bike. Yajirobe arched an eyebrow and hoped the alien couldn't see the sweat on his cheeks. Vac walked up to the short, ugly human and scowled.  
"We're no match for the Saiyans, we admit that. Humans, on the other hand-" he said, and then belted Yajirobe across the Lookout. Yajirobe got back up sputtering. "-are another matter," Vac finished. Yajirobe drew his sword and attacked him, but Vac simply sidestepped him quickly, and struck him across the back. Yajirobe cursed to himself again; this guy was making him look like a total fool! He did a fast flip and actually managed to cut Vac across the shoulder with his sword. Vac hissed as he grabbed at his shoulder, and then looked at the blood on his hands. He pressed his hand down again, and grimaced in great pain as he cauterized his wound. He then scowled at Yajirobe again, who grinned triumphantly for a moment until he saw that Vac had closed the wound. Vac grabbed Yajirobe by the front of his shirt and began concentrating heat into both of his hands. Yajirobe let out a cry of horror as his clothes began to burn. Vac then decked him hard and he crumpled to the ground. Mr. Popo, in a panic, threw the contents of his watering can onto the unconscious Yajirobe, and put out the fire.  
"We're running a little low on patience, Namek. Just give us the woman!" Vac barked at Dende.  
"Never!" Dende snapped. A soft sigh seemed to escape the threesome, and then Halter and Bosen dismounted their own bikes.  
  
Bulma sat on the floor in the small room she had locked herself into with her ear pressed against the wall that faced the front of the overall building. She couldn't hear much, but what she could pick up sounded like a fight. She began trembling all over, and her mouth went dry as she listened to distant thuds and something breaking. What would she do if the assassins came looking for her? She was just pregnant enough to make all the fighting skills Vegeta had taught her worthless, and there was little in the entire Lookout, much less this one room, to use as a weapon. She clenched one hand into a fist as she pushed herself up onto her feet. A quick look around offered a few objects, such as chairs, a small statue, and a heavy-looking glass bottle full of water and capped that she might use as a blunt object weapon. She quickly decided that the chairs would be too unwieldy in her current condition, but the statue was just small enough, and the bottle could become a stabbing weapon. She started to go get them when there was a resounding crash somewhere outside, and then complete silence. Bulma gasped, and ran over to the table that held the bottle. She grabbed the bottle by its neck and ducked out of sight into a small closest on the left side of the room as footsteps approached. Her lungs couldn't seem to hold enough oxygen and she had to fight to keep her breathing quiet, and worse, the baby, affected by her emotions, began moving and kicking to display its own discomfort. Several long minutes passed, and she could hear doors being opened and slammed shut. Popo and Dende would never do that, which meant the assassins were there and looking for her. She winced as the baby's kicking became harder and somewhat painful. Her eyes flew open again as the doorknob began shaking. After a few moments, the metal knob began to glow white hot, and then it melted away and the door swung open.  
"Is she in there?" Halter asked from across the hall.  
"I don't see her. . .but I think I hear something," Vac answered as he stepped into the room. Bulma tightened her grip on her erstwhile weapon, and when Vac came up to the closet, she smashed the bottle down on his head. The glass shattered in a brilliant, sparkling explosion, the water flying everywhere. Vac screamed something in his native tongue that Bulma was willing to bet wasn't very polite as he fell to his knees holding his head. She ran past him as best she could, still holding the remaining third of the broken bottle in her hand. Bosen blocked the doorway, and Bulma drove the broken glass into his stomach. He gagged and doubled over, and she pushed past him as well. She had no time to worry about things as trivial as mercy, she only knew she had to protect her baby and get out of there. She hadn't expected Halter to hit her across the face. She hit the floor and gripped her bruising cheek as she curled into a ball around her belly. Vac and Bosen came over and glared at her.  
"Damn, she's tough!" Bosen hissed as he pressed his hands to the gashes in his belly to keep his blood in.  
"Oh, yeah, she's married to a Saiyan, all right. Bitch!" Vac snarled as he gripped his throbbing head. Halter put a hand on both of his comrades and healed the worst of their injuries. Bulma started to try and get away again, but Bosen and Vac grabbed both of her arms and hauled her outside, Halter walking ahead of them. Bulma looked to see Dende in a heap to one side, Mr. Popo lying by his flowers, and Yajirobe on the deck. Halter went to his bike and pulled out a needle and a small bottle of liquid. Bulma stared at the bottle and needle and began screaming and writhing.  
"NO! NO! LET GO OF ME! NOOO!" she shrieked as Halter filled the needle. He gave the plunger a tiny push to get rid of any air that was left in it, and turned to face Bulma.  
"Don't worry, this won't hurt you. It'll just kill the monster growing inside of you," Halter said quietly as he walked to her. None of them had noticed when the sky suddenly turned black and lightening began leaping to the ground during their fight with the human woman's last defenders.  
  
While the battle at the Lookout had been going on, the Z-Fighters had found all of the Dragonballs and had summoned Shenlon. The massive dragon hovered in the air, his long, scaly body in loose coils across much of the immediate sky.  
"What is your first wish?" the dragon asked.  
"We wish for a cure to the poison that's killing the Saiyans!" Krillin said quickly, and Shenlon was quiet for only a second.  
"Your wish has been granted," he said. "What is your second wish?"  
"Where's the cure?!" Krillin demanded loudly. Nothing had appeared before them.  
"It is at the hospital, with the Saiyans," the dragon answered.  
"Hey, Krillin, why didn't you just wish for the Saiyans to be well?" Yamcha asked low by the shorter man's ear.  
"Uh, well, for one thing, having a cure will protect them from this ever happening again. . .and I didn't think of that until you mentioned it," Krillin admitted in slight embarrassment. In the hospital, the doctors cheered at the discovery of a cure.  
"How?!" one demanded.  
"I don't know! But there it is!! We did it!!" a second answered, and they quickly started prepping needles of it. They had no time to spare. Back with the Z-Fighters, Shenlon was still awaiting the second wish. The Z-Fighters had fallen to minor talk amongst themselves.  
"Well?" the dragon demanded.  
"We could wish the Saiyans completely well. . ." Piccolo observed.  
"I just wish I knew how Bulma was doing," Yamcha said off-handedly. However, he said it a bit too loudly.  
"Your wish is granted," Shenlon answered, and the others turned on Yamcha, ready to smack him upside the head. The desire died quickly when they were presented with an image of the three assassins arriving at Kami's Lookout, then knocking Dende, Mr. Popo, and Yajirobe violently aside, and then going after Bulma. Around the time when Vac broke into the room where Bulma hid, they all took to the air, flying to Kami's Lookout at top speed.  
Shenlon, forgotten, quietly returned to the Dragonballs, which promptly turned to stone and scattered across the globe once more.  
  
The doctors burst into the room and without a word started administering the antidote to the Saiyans. Vegeta's heart monitor had slowed to such a crawl that Chi-chi and Videl were certain that he was going to die anytime now, but the doctors simply gave him a slightly larger dose and moved on. A few minutes later their faces began to smooth, and after another few minutes their eyes began to flutter open and they began moaning.  
"Goku!" Chi-chi cried as she flung herself across him.  
"Chi-chi. . .? Ohh, Chi-chi, I had this horrible dream. . ." Goku's voice was hoarse and weak, but sounded better than it had.  
"Videl? Mom? Dad? Goten?" Gohan mumbled.  
"Mom? Dad? Gohan?" Goten sighed quietly. Chi-chi turned to her sons for a moment to show she was still there and soothe them.  
"Oh, man. . .that was something else. I still have lots to learn about Saiyans," Kari murmured with a tiny smile. She felt so much cooler inside now.  
"Kaammi, I still feel shitty," Vegeta grumbled. "But better." He rubbed his head and tried to sit up.  
"You shouldn't try to get up yet. It'll take a day or two for the poison to be completely cleansed from your system, but you're well on your way," Dr. Botic told them with a beaming smile. "As for the damage it did, well, we're still working on that." Chi-chi, Videl, Tien, and Chiao-Tzu all smiled and nodded in relief and joy. Vegeta suddenly jerked as he heard a telepathic scream from Bulma.  
  
"No, no, no! Please don't!!" Bulma shrieked again, still fighting, as Halter knelt down by her and made ready to inject her abdomen with the Saiyan-killing poison.  
"What about her?" Bosen abruptly asked as he squeezed Bulma's right arm painfully. "She gave shelter to that animal, and has been helping to spawn new ones!"  
"Bosen's right. She and the other Earth-bitches should be punished too!" Vac agreed. Halter looked at them, and then studied Bulma for a second.  
"She looks fragile enough, as did the other two. It shouldn't be difficult," he nodded.  
"But we haven't done anything _wrong_!" Bulma pleaded, but the three aliens didn't listen. She realized, to her horror, that nothing could reach them - they were too completely controlled by fear and hate. She watched Halter aim for her stomach again and her fear exploded. "DON'T HURT MY BABY!!!" Bulma screamed at the top of her voice, and let off an explosion of ki that would have made any Saiyan proud. The entire Lookout was covered in white-blue light, but the main force of the blast was focused on Bosen, Vac, and Halter, who were all sent flying over the Lookout's edge, broken, bleeding, and screaming. Bulma gasped deeply and sagged forward onto her hands as she tried to figure out what happened. Dende, Mr. Popo, and Yajirobe got up and stared at her in shock. The assassins were gone. The hover bikes then beeped and flew off.  
  
**************************************************************************** ** It's not over yet. . .Next time, the conclusion: Ch.6: Battle's End - A Happy Birth and a Sad Prediction.  
  
E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! I'd love to hear from you! 


	9. TBF26

And now, the conclusion.  
  
DBZ belongs to many people, such as Akira Toriyama, the good folks at FUNimation, and others, none of whom happen to be me. :_(  
  
**************************************************************************** ** Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns  
  
Running from the mirror (Running from the mirror) How long can you last? How long can you last? How (How) Long can you last? (Can you last?)  
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish  
  
Ch.6: Battle's End - A Happy Birth and a Sad Prediction.  
  
Vegeta pulled out his IV and forced his way out of the bed. He was still half dead, he knew that, his entire body still ached terribly, and he couldn't make his eyes focus all the way, but that didn't matter. Bulma was in danger, she needed him. Dr. Botic moved up to him and caught his shoulders.  
"Mr. Vegeta, please! You're still very ill and shouldn't try to move too much!" Dr. Botic said . Vegeta's response was a scowl, a low growl, and a hard shove that sent the doctor slamming into the nearby wall. Dr. Botic let out a small gasp of surprise and pain. "Though, obviously, you are well on your way to a complete recovery," he observed. Vegeta ignored the man and stumbled over to Goku, who had managed to sit up and stare at him like he was insane.  
"Vegeta, what in Kami's name. . .?" Goku started slowly.  
"Kakkarot, Bulma's in danger. . .teleport me to Kami's Lookout. . .now!" Vegeta demanded, grabbing Goku's arm. Goku hesitated, and then nodded. He removed his own IV and raised a weak, slightly trembling hand to his forehead.  
"Now, see here! Neither one of you should move too much! You need a lot of rest to recover from what's happened to you!" a second doctor, Dr. Michael Scope, snapped at them. Goku and Vegeta ignored them, as Goku strived to make his mind clear enough to pick up Bulma's ki. He gave a strained attempt to teleport himself and Vegeta, but it failed.  
"Goku, are you sure you should do this? You don't have much strength right now," Chi- Chi said, her voice alive with worry. "What if your power gives out half way there? What will you do?"  
"We'll go!" Tien and Chiao-Tzu said, and blasted out the window.  
"I really must insist that you return to bed, Mr. Vegeta!" Dr. Botic tried again, rubbing his bruised arm that hit the wall.  
"Later!" Vegeta barked over his shoulder at the doctors. Goku tried again, and failed again. He panted lightly, sweat glistening down his cheeks. "Damn it, Kakkarot! Take me to Bulma!" Vegeta turned on his fellow Saiyan.  
"I'm trying, Vegeta, but I'm still really weak and tired, like you are!" Goku answered, and then tried again. This time, the twosome disappeared.  
"They'll be back for their bed rest a little later," Videl told the dumb-founded doctors, who were trying to figure out where the two patients just went.  
"How long has he been able to do that?" Kari wondered aloud.  
"Oh, years now," Gohan answered quietly from his own bed.  
  
The Z-Fighters could see the lookout in the distance, and quietly prayed they weren't too late. They could feel Dende, Mr. Popo, Yajirobe, and Bulma's kis, which was a relatively good sign, but the assassin's kis, the two they could feel, were moving away from the lookout, and that confused them.  
  
Goku and Vegeta appeared at the lookout, and Goku fell to his hands and knees panting. His body ached and felt about ready to pull apart. He lifted his head slowly to look around, and gawked at the damage done to the building. There were cracks and burn marks everywhere. Vegeta stumbled forward a bit, but was obviously having terrible difficulties staying standing. Dende, Mr. Popo, and Yajirobe walked up to them, Dende having healed the worst of their injuries  
"What happened here?" Vegeta demanded of the trio.  
"Believe it or not, your wife!" Mr. Popo answered, and Vegeta stared at him for a moment.  
"It's true! They were about to inject her with that poison to kill the baby, and. . ." Dende started.  
"What?!" Vegeta yelled, and nearly toppled over with the exertion.  
"No, it's okay, they didn't succeed! She just let off this huge explosion of ki and knocked them all away!" Dende finished.  
"It was something else!" Yajirobe said, but his comment went ignored by the two Saiyans.  
"Bulma?! A ki blast?!" Goku cried, his shock written all over his face.  
"A ki blast that did all of this?! Bulma?!" Vegeta said at the same moment, trying to keep on his feet.  
"Vegeta. . .?" Bulma's voice suddenly wafted up to them, and Vegeta turned and stared at her. She was a bit pale, and stumbled a little when she walked, but she was otherwise okay, and he ran to her as best as his weakened legs could. "Vegeta! You're better! Or a little better, anyway. . .how did you know to come?" she looked overjoyed and ran to him in turn. They reached each other and promptly fell to their knees, unable to stand any longer. He held her to himself in deep relief, feeling his baby's ki, still strong and well, move toward him again.  
"I heard you scream through the Bond, I had to come. . .the doctors found a cure just in time. . .you're all right? The baby's all right?" Vegeta said quietly by her ear.  
"Yes, we're both fine. . .I don't know how I did what I did, it just happened. . .oh, Vegeta, I'm so glad you're all right! And Trunks? He's better now too, isn't he? He got the antidote too?" Bulma asked in return.  
"Of course he did! He was waking up when I heard you scream. We all got it. We're all going to be. . ." Vegeta almost laughed into her hair, but his light mood was cut in half by the sound of engines. He jerked away from Bulma and watched as Bosen, Vac, and Halter reappeared on the bikes, burned, hurting, and obviously _pissed_.  
"YOU?! It can't be!! You should be dead by now!!" Halter screamed when he saw Vegeta, who moved protectively in front of Bulma. Halter's eyes held a crazed look as he then turned his attention to Goku. "You, too! How are you here?! You should be writhing in agony as you slowly die!"  
"I got better!" Goku answered, for a brief moment inflicting a British accent.  
"They're still mostly dead, we can take them now!" Bosen said quickly. It was quite clear that neither Saiyan could fight at the moment.  
"Bosen's right!" Vac nodded. They didn't notice how those before them suddenly perked up and looked past them.  
"You might be able to handle them, but what about us?" a deep, growling voice they recognized as belonging to the older Namek asked behind them. They froze for a brief moment, and then looked behind them. There floated the Z-Fighters, their faces locked and grim.  
"Oh, fu--" Bosen hissed, and they quickly pulled out laser weapons from compartments on their bikes and just as quickly turned all the way around to open fire into the crowd. The Z- Fighters separated in several directions to avoid the rays, leaving the lasers to slice harmlessly through the air, and then the Z-Team lunged at the assassins. Vac, Halter, and Bosen knew better than to remain stationary targets, and split apart as well, dodging blows as best they could. Bosen fired a shot that burned Yamcha's shoulder, and Yamcha fell back for a moment before charging in again with Tien. Piccolo grabbed Vac from behind, but Vac simply pressed his palms into Piccolo's arm and turned up the heat. Piccolo let go with a small roar as his flesh burned and blistered. Krillin and 18 took turns laying into Halter, who only managed to fire two shots before Krillin knocked his gun from his hand and 18 stepped on it, crushing it. One shot had burned her arm, but she ignored the sting. They paused for a minute to see if he would surrender peacefully. Blood trickled from the Col's mouth as he glared at them, his eyes glowing with hatred and confusion.  
"Why are you doing this? Don't you understand? The Saiyans are monsters! They've killed so many, hurt so many! Why do you defend them? They deserve no loyalty. . .no kindness or protection. . .they deserve only death! Can't you see that? Can't you see. . .all of the blood on their hands?" Halter asked in a quiet, even tone that unnerved Krillin and 18. They sent glances to each other uneasily.  
"You've got it wrong; these Saiyans don't have blood on their hands at all - except Vegeta, and he's mending his ways," Krillin said. "Look, just take your friends and leave." Halter shook his head.  
"No. The Nightmare ends here and now. They have to die!" Halter turned and tried to attack Vegeta, Goku, and Bulma, but Krillin and 18 barred his way, and their fight began again. It was ridiculous; the three aliens stood no chance against all of them, no matter what weapons or inborn powers they possessed, but they wouldn't give up.  
"Listen to us, this isn't necessary! They're not. . ." Tien tried with Bosen, only to have to avoid a laser to the face.  
"You've been blinded by their lies!" Bosen snapped as he fired.  
Mr. Popo and Dende pulled an unwilling Bulma out of the way, as Yajirobe tried to help Goku and Vegeta get to a safe distance. Vegeta was cursing, angry at how weak he still was, but was otherwise not fighting the movement. Bulma bit her lip as she watched the fight. The Z- Fighters were holding back, knowing that these three could well be the last of their respective species, much like the occupants on Kari's ship had been. None wanted to be responsible for genocide. She turned back for a moment as Popo and Dende pulled her around a corner and more-or-less out of sight. She looked down at her hand then, and again wondered how she had called up all of that ki. If she had a sleeping power, surely Vegeta would have realized it by now, and done something to help bring it out. But he had been as surprised as she to learn she let off such a powerful ki blast. A scream pulled her attention away again, and she turned to see Yamcha stumbling back, gripping his chest painfully as blood seeped between his fingers. A fraction of a second later Tien shrieked and grabbed his forehead, where Bosen had shot his third eye. Bosen was a crack shot, and made ready to shoot the defenseless Saiyans in the back. A bolt of panic ripped through Bulma and the baby started kicking furiously, and power began to flow into Bulma's hands.  
Somewhere in the back of Bulma's mind she now understood - she'd had the potential to raise her ki all along, like any other living being, but it was the baby who was causing this new power surge. The baby, a half-Saiyan child still attached to her, was, intentionally or not, sending her power and unlocking her own power at the same time. A ki ball formed into her palm in the same second she realized all of this, and she flung it at Bosen with all of the strength she possessed before she even fully realized what was happening. It smashed into him and sent him flying sideways into Vac, and both flew into Halter, like bowling pins after a strike. The three crumpled into a pile, unconscious. The Z-Fighters turned and stared at Bulma, Vegeta pushing away from Yajirobe to move up to her, and she smiled weakly, and then fainted dead away into Vegeta's arms. He fell to his knees again, still too sick and sore to hold her and himself up. He cradled her gently as the others looked back to the three aliens. Dende ran up to Yamcha and Tien and placed a hand over both wounds, a soft light glowing from his palms.  
"They're still alive. . .what should we do with them?" Krillin asked as he gave Halter's arm a small nudge with the toe of his boot.  
"My first reaction is kill them," Vegeta answered with a low growl.  
"Then we are what they think we are," Goku murmured quietly, and thought he saw Vegeta twitch.  
"There's no convincing them otherwise, Kakkarot. . .they're too far gone," Vegeta answered over his shoulder, and Goku found himself lost in surprise as he realized that Vegeta actually regretted that fact.  
"Still, they're not evil. . .just desperate," Chiao-Tzu observed.  
"The Mists of Illusion might help. . .let them think they succeeded, so they'll just leave," Piccolo offered. The others looked at him.  
"Mists of Illusion? What's that?" 18 asked.  
"One of the various potions around here. Once inhaled, you can make a person believe anything. . .but it's dangerous. Too much can leave them locked in a fantasy world forever," Dende explained.  
"Still, it seems to be our best alternative; if we just kill them now, more will come later," Mr. Popo pointed out, and everyone nodded.  
"Go and get it, Mr. Popo. Hurry, before they wake up," Dende told him, and he ran off. He flung open the cupboard that held their various potions and examined the bottles carefully before choosing a tall, thin yellow bottle with a crystal stopper and returning to the outside. He knelt down and poured a few drops of the misty liquid on each of the assassins. They each inhaled deeply and then gave a short cough.  
"Your mission succeeded," Piccolo told them. "During the fight with the Saiyans' friends, Bosen and Vac managed to shoot the two male pure bloods and kill them. The rest died of the poison. You also managed to give some of the poison to the Saiyan Prince's wife and it killed the baby in her womb. A complete victory, the Saiyans are no more." They stared as the three aliens visibly relaxed, like a great weight had been thrown off their shoulders. They all moved out of sight, Dende helping Vegeta get Bulma somewhere where she could lie down. Eventually, close to an hour later, the three woke up, and after sitting up and looking dazed for several more minutes, they let out joyous cheers and whoops, and hugged each other in complete jubilation, tears of happiness glistening on their cheeks. They mounted their bikes again and flew off, still cheering. From Kami's Lookout, they watched the star ship lift off and go.  
"It's over. . .for them, too. They won't live in fear and hatred anymore," Krillin smiled a bit.  
"We should tell Goku and Vegeta," Tien answered. They all turned and went back inside, and went to the rooms they had left the Saiyans in. Goku was soundly asleep in one bed, and Vegeta was sleeping with Bulma, his body curled against hers.  
"We should probably return them to the hospital," Yamcha observed.  
After Vegeta and Goku were returned to the hospital, the Saiyans all stayed there for another two days (despite multiple escape attempts) and then were deemed well enough to return home. The rest of the Z-Fighters returned to their normal lives, and all became peaceful and calm again.  
  
2 months and 5 days later. . .  
  
Vegeta sat in the waiting room anxiously, waiting for word on Bulma and the baby. She had gone into the first stages of labor five hours ago, and he had been sent to wait outside after threatening a doctor if anything happened to Bulma or their child. Trunks sat next to him, fidgeting uncomfortably. He glanced at his young son quietly as the violet- haired youth turned to Gohan. Gohan's whole family was there, his parents, brother, and mate.  
"Was it like this while you were waiting for Goten?" he asked the older boy.  
"Yeah, more or less," Gohan nodded.  
"Kind of nerve-wracking, isn't it?" Goten said.  
"Why are you even here?" Vegeta asked shortly.  
"Well, Trunks called me to tell me that the baby was coming, and I told the rest of my family. . ." Goten offered almost meekly. Vegeta intimidated him just a little when he was angry.  
"And seeing as Bulma's been one of my best friends since we were kids, I just felt like I ought to come, and Chi-chi, Gohan, Videl, and Goten all wanted to come too," Goku finished for his youngest son. Vegeta let out a low, tense sigh. Deep down, it always made him feel a little edgy that Kakkarot had known Bulma first, and had been and still was quite close to her. He didn't know why, it just did. For now, though, he chose to be gracious. This was a happy day, no need to stir up trouble. He inwardly marveled at his greatly changed attitude, but nothing showed on the surface, as always.  
"Fine," Vegeta muttered hotly. "That explains you five, and I'll accept it. But what about the rest of you?!" he cast accusing eyes at the other people in the room. Sitting by Goku was Yamcha, who tried to hide behind a newspaper, by him sat Kari, striving to look innocent as she flipped through a magazine, then Krillin and 18, and then of all people, Piccolo, and beside him was Tien and Chiao-Tzu, both trying to keep a low profile.  
"Ahh, well, I passed Goku and his family in the air on their way here, and we stopped for a brief moment to talk, and they told me Bulma was in labor, and. . .damn it, she's my friend too, and we used to be close. . ." Yamcha fumbled for an explanation as he lowered the newspaper. Vegeta glared at him in a way that would make most people cringe and try to escape, but Yamcha managed to hold steady - barely. Kari looked up from her magazine and gave a small smile.  
"I heard the news in the office and ran over. A new Saiyan baby is being born, you think I'd be anywhere else?" Kari said.  
"I was on the lookout and realized it there; I just. . .I don't know. I came to see the new kid on the block, I guess," Piccolo muttered. He honestly had no idea what compelled him to come.  
"We were just passing through when we came across Goku et all coming here and followed," Tien said. "Heck, we all worked so hard to help protect the kid, we should at least get to see him." The others nodded.  
"Mr. Vegeta?" a woman's voice suddenly said, and they all jumped, Vegeta literally to his feet, and faced the nurse who was leaning into the room.  
"What is it?" Vegeta said quickly. The nurse smiled a bit.  
"The baby hasn't come yet, but it's close, and your wife wants you there. The doctor says it's okay so long as you stay calm and don't threaten him again," the nurse explained. For a moment, Vegeta thought about refusing, but stopped himself before he did. He strode forward, head high, and walked past the nurse into the hallway beyond. "This way," the nurse said, but Vegeta didn't need a guide. He knew exactly where his mate was, and he could feel her pain and exhaustion. The nurse pushed open the door and Vegeta walked in and to Bulma's side. Her face was locked up in pain as another contraction hit her, and as it passed she opened her eyes. She reached for him and he took her hand.  
"Vegeta," she sighed. He just gazed at her with his soul-piercing eyes, offering her comfort and his strength through the Bond, as he had been doing before in the waiting room.  
"Just a little more, Mrs. Vegeta. I can see the head!" the doctor called up to her, and Bulma made ready to push with the next contraction. It came and she pushed, letting out a little cry of pain and effort as she did.  
"Very good, one more ought to do it," the doctor said, and Vegeta felt her grip on his hand tighten as the next contraction came. She again grimaced as she pushed, and a few moments later a shrill cry filled the room. "There! That's it," the doctor said happily, and Bulma leaned against Vegeta, who smiled at her fully. As the doctor helped get the placenta out, the nurse cleaned the baby up, cut its umbilical cord, and wrapped it in a blanket before coming to Bulma.  
"Congratulations," the nurse smiled at them warmly. "You have a beautiful, healthy little girl." They nodded, and then froze.  
"Say what?" Vegeta and Bulma both blinked.  
  
Some time after Vegeta had left, another nurse stepped into the waiting room. "Trunks? You can come see them now," she smiled at the boy, who quickly got up to follow her.  
"What about us?" Goku asked.  
"Well. . .I suppose you can all come, but only for a few moments!" the nurse answered, and they all jumped up to follow her. She led them down a different hall than the one Vegeta had originally led down, to the room where Bulma and the baby had been shifted to.  
"So my mom's okay?" Trunks asked the nurse quickly.  
"Yes, she's just fine! Tired, of course, and a little sore, but in a few days she'll be fine again," the nurse nodded.  
"And my baby brother?" Trunks pressed. The nurse chuckled in response.  
"Your _sister_ is fine and healthy. She's eight pounds even, twelve inches long,. . ."the nurse prattled off the usual details. Trunks had stopped listening at the word "sister." That word had also gotten the attention of the others.  
"Sister? The baby's a girl?" Goku spoke up before Trunks could.  
"Yes. Why are you acting so surprised?" the nurse asked with a half- smile. "The odds were even, you know."  
"Oh, no reason. . .we just all. . .really expected it to be a boy," Kari said, her voice only hinting at her surprise.  
"Not this time," the nurse answered. She then stopped and motioned them to a door. Trunks pushed the door open, stepped inside, and saw his mother in bed, his father sitting on the bed's edge, and in his mother's arms was a tiny bundle. His parents turned at the sound of the door.  
"Trunks, come here and see!" Bulma said, and he ran up to the bed and leaned in to get a look at the baby. She appeared to be asleep, her little eyes closed, and her face was flushed.  
"The nurse said it's a girl," Trunks said quickly, seeking confirmation. On some level, he still felt that had to be a mistake.  
"Yes, it is," Vegeta replied, and Trunks finally accepted it.  
"What's her name?" Trunks asked next.  
"Bra," Bulma answered, and Vegeta gave a tiny sigh. Vegeta gently reached for his new daughter, and Bulma offered her up freely. He took her from her mother's arms carefully, and just as carefully positioned her comfortably in his own arms. Trunks took the opportunity to give his mother a quick hug. The others came in then, slowly and quietly, and Vegeta didn't notice them. Vegeta gazed at the half asleep infant, who suddenly stirred and blinked her eyes open at the change in the feel of the arms holding her. Vegeta found himself staring down into a smaller version of Bulma's eyes; the same deep blue pools his mate possessed, and this time, even their shape was the same. Trunks' eyes had his mother's color, but his father's shape. He smiled the way he had the first time he held Trunks as a baby, a warm, loving smile that few ever saw.  
"The first princess born to Vegetasei in. . ." Vegeta paused as he tried to recall the number. "Ten generations. . .and close to a thousand years," he finally finished.  
"That long?" Goku's voice snapped Vegeta out of his reverie and he stared at his fellow Saiyan in annoyance.  
"Kakkarot?! What the hell. . . this is supposed to be family only for a while!" Vegeta hissed as he stared at the crowd in Bulma's room. He felt his anger flare at having been caught being so soft and emotional.  
"We're just here for a quick look, and then we'll go. The nurse won't let us stay long," Chi-Chi informed him.  
"It won't hurt anything, Vegeta," Bulma observed gently. Then she ran her tongue over her dry lips. "Vegeta, could you get me a cup of water?" she asked. Vegeta gave a small nod and placed the baby back in her arms. The Z-Fighters crowded in to get a look as he headed out the door.  
As fortune would have it, there was a water cooler with decent sized paper cups by it a short distance from Bulma's room. Vegeta filled one of the cups with the cool fluid, turned, took three steps, and then stopped dead in his tracks. About ten feet from him and moving to Bulma's room was a figure he recognized only from his memory, someone he hadn't seen since he was a boy. She stood tall and straight, save for the slight hunch of her shoulders, which had a long cloak wrapped about them that dragged a bit on the floor. The hood was up, but he could see wisps of silver-white hair on the edges, and she walked with a tall, red walking stick.  
"You!" Vegeta snapped, and the woman turned. He found himself once more looking into the clear, bright purple eyes and lined old face of the prophetess who had appeared to him when he was a child.  
"Greetings, Prince Vegeta! I'm surprised you remember me," she said, tilting her head to one side in near-amusement.  
"What are you doing here, Old Woman? Where did you come from?" Vegeta demanded lowly, quickly closing the gap between them. The old woman just looked at him, no fear on her face or in her eyes.  
"The vision came surprisingly quickly for this child," she answered, and proceeded to turn back around and headed again for Bulma's room. Vegeta moved in front of her too quickly for the human eye to see and scowled deeply.  
"Stay away from there!" he snarled.  
"You cannot stop me, Prince," she said.  
"Watch me!" Vegeta barked back, and this drew the attention of the crowd in Bulma's room. Goku stuck his head out the door and watched the strange confrontation. ((Who's that woman?)) Goku wondered. It was obvious Vegeta didn't like her and was trying to keep her from getting somewhere. The woman vanished and Vegeta swore. Goku spun around and stared at the same woman, who now stood in the center of the room. Vegeta burst in and scowled at her. "Leave now, old woman, before I blast you to Hell!" he yelled at her.  
"Vegeta, who is this person?!" Bulma's voice betrayed her panic as she held her baby closer. The old woman's purple eyes glowed.  
"The Daughter of the House of Vegeta shall know great pain for her power, and have many trials to overcome. . .her father's sins will be washed away with her blood," the old woman declared in a voice that seemed to echo across the room. The Z-Fighters let out exclamations of surprise.  
"NO!" Vegeta screamed, and readied a ki blast.  
"Who are you?!" Gohan demanded of the woman.  
"Nothing but a messenger. Put that ki ball away, you cannot kill me, and even if you could, it would change nothing!" the old woman stated sharply, and Vegeta knew she was right. He took his ki back into his body and stared at her with hate-filled eyes.  
"Why are you doing this? Who sent you?" Vegeta demanded. She looked at him evenly, and seemed to relent a little.  
"You have your great-grandfather to thank for this, Vegeta," she said.  
"What?" Vegeta said, and the sentiment was echoed by the others in the room.  
"Your great-grandfather angered a wizard, who placed a curse on the entire Vegeta family line - that you would not only have painful futures, but that you would know about them ahead of time and not be able to truly change them," she said calmly. They stared at her for a moment, stunned.  
"Well, how do we break the curse?!" Trunks asked quickly.  
"I don't know," the old woman answered with a shake of her head.  
"We need to find the wizard," Krillin pointed out, but the old woman shook her head again.  
"You can't. He's long dead; Vegeta's great-grandfather killed him. That's why he was so angry. It was a right-before-he-died curse," the old woman explained.  
"Can't you, I don't know, find his spirit and ask him, or something?" Bulma asked desperately.  
"I could, but why should I? I have no reason to," the old woman answered, and they stared at her in anger and surprise. She then continued. "You know, the curse never seemed to have much effect anyway; none of your family ever listens. You're great- grandfather didn't listen, your grandfather didn't listen, your father didn't listen, you didn't listen. . . I doubt Trunks will listen when his time comes."  
"Why? What's going to happen to Trunks?!" Vegeta bellowed.  
"What's going to happen to me?!" Trunks said at the same moment.  
"That is not for you to know," she said to Vegeta. "And I don't really know yet," she said to Trunks. "I had a vision for you, but it was averted somehow. I saw that you would never know your father, would know only fear and pain as you grew, and that the Saiyan race would die with you. But then it all. . .changed. I still await a new vision for you." The Z-Fighters felt themselves go cold at the description of that vision; they knew all too well what had happened. That vision was for Future Trunks, but he changed history, and this Trunks didn't have that life. "Well, I've done what I came to do. Must be off, there are others I need to talk to in this Universe," she said crisply, and made ready to leave.  
"WAIT!" Vegeta's voice rang through the room and made the walls shake. "You have to find that wizard and learn the cure for the curse!" he demanded.  
"I say again, 'why should I?'" the old woman answered, facing Vegeta alone. Vegeta stared at her, his eyes boring into hers. His fists were clenched at his sides and every muscle was tense. He knew attacking her would do no good whatsoever. He looked at his family; his beautiful and brilliant mate, strong son, and tiny daughter, and drew in a slow breath. He wished the other Z-Fighters weren't in the room, but there was nothing he could do about it. The others watched him carefully, curious as to what he was going to do.  
For a moment, they were all certain they were seeing things. Every set of eyes in the room went wide with shock. Vegeta had gone down on his knees and lowered his head.  
"Please, find the wizard. . .I deserved my part of the curse, but my son and daughter don't! I. . .I. . ." Vegeta gritted his teeth and forced the words out. "I. . .I. . .beg you. . .ask the wizard how to undo this curse." Vegeta felt ill to his stomach, being forced to beg like this, especially in front of everyone. It was humiliating and degrading, and he could feel his skin crawling with shame, but if it got him what he wanted, then he could live with it. The old woman was completely shocked, and it showed. She had not expected such a display of love and fear for his family from Vegeta, and it warmed her heart to see it. Then she smiled a warm smile.  
"Very well! I shall seek him out," she declared, and promptly disappeared. Vegeta was back on his feet before anyone else could blink. No one knew what to say.  
"Vegeta. . ." Goku started.  
"Shut up, Kakkarot, I don't want to hear it," Vegeta cut him off. Goku pressed his lips together, but couldn't keep the small smile from tilting the corners of his mouth. He pulled Chi- chi into his embrace, and they quietly waited for the old woman's return.  
They weren't sure how long it was, not very though, before the prophetess returned, still smiling. "Good news!" she beamed. "The curse is already broken!"  
"What?!" they all cried together.  
"It was set to break only when "A member of the House of Vegeta humbles him or herself for the sake of others." When you begged for your family but not yourself, you broke the curse!" she told them, and they all smiled and sighed in relief.  
"Oh, Vegeta!" Bulma sighed as Vegeta wrapped his arms around her, the baby, and Trunks. He didn't say anything, but she knew how he felt, the Bond told her everything.  
"That was a close one!" 18 observed.  
"I'll say! Good thing Vegeta thought of that," Yamcha murmured quietly.  
"Remind me never to piss off a wizard," Kari chuckled quietly. The old woman suddenly cleared her throat. She wasn't smiling anymore.  
"There's. . .just one small problem," she said. "The curse was still in effect when I came here and gave the girl her prophecy; it shall still come to pass."  
"What?!" Vegeta all but lunged at the woman.  
"However, now that the curse is broken, you can try to avert it," the old woman said firmly. "Now, I must be going - I'm late for another appointment."  
"Just out of curiosity. . .what did you tell my father?" Vegeta asked before she could leave. She looked at him in a strangely cold fashion.  
"I had that vision shortly after you were born. My exact words were, "Your son will never have the throne. You shall betray and be betrayed by a false ally, and your kingdom and people will be lost!" He didn't listen, of course. Good day to you, Vegeta," she said, and disappeared, leaving them to contemplate her words.  
"It can be averted, and it will," Vegeta said low in his throat.  
"We'll see to it," Bulma agreed.  
  
The End **************************************************************************** ** Share your thoughts! E-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! 


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